Resilience
by DianaArtemis16
Summary: The sequel to Still Life
1. Chapter 1

Harry Potter was not being punished.

He had only returned from school two weeks ago. He hadn't mentioned a word about Hogwarts to the Dursleys. Hadn't argued or fought with Dudley. And he kept his school books and supplies tucked away in his closet so the sight of them wouldn't bother Uncle Vernon. And though he had yet been able to release Hedwig for a night flight, she had been doing her best to also remain silent and unobtrusive. Harry knew this strange peace in number four Privet Drive wouldn't last forever, but he knew to appreciate it while he could.

So, despite the fact that Harry wasn't being punished, he was still sitting in the darkness of the cupboard under the stairs, with only a dim torch for a small light.

Harry touched the corners of the photograph. It was quite old, he knew, but obviously well cared for. Most of the photos Hagrid had given him were worn and creased and faded. But this one was crisp and fresh, despite being the oldest of them all. His mother, who looked to be about his age now, sat in a swing, pumping her legs to go higher and higher. She was laughing loudly, and talking to someone just behind the camera. Harry couldn't hear her and he wondered if only painted portraits, like those at Hogwarts, could make sound.

He looked at the houses, just barely visible, behind her. It looked to be a normal muggle neighborhood, though it could be magical, Harry supposed. He had never visited a wizarding suburb and he wondered if they even existed. They had to, he rationalized, because he couldn't see how Ron or his family could live in a place like Privet Drive.

Lily dug her feet into the dirt. Standing up and walking towards the camera. She made a silly grimace, using her fingers to pull at her lips. Then she looked up at the cameraman and burst into another bout of uncontrollable laughter.

Harry wondered where Professor Snape lived during the summer.

Suddenly, there was heavy footsteps from the hallway upstairs. Harry quickly tucked the picture in his shirt pocket and shut off the light. Then, as quietly as possible, he existed the cupboard. Scampering into the kitchen, he quickly poured himself a glass of water, turning just as Aunt Petunia entered. She was in her bathrobe, hair still in curlers, and was startled by Harry's presence.

"What are you doing?" she sneered, her voice more snappish from being caught off guard.

"Thirsty," Harry murmured, taking another gulp. He would not reveal where he had been hiding. He didn't really understand it himself.

She glared at him distrustfully for a moment, before walking over to the stove and setting the kettle on. "Well, if you're awake, might as well be some use. Get breakfast started!"

Harry nodded and finished his water. He began to pull out the bacon and butter from the fridge, setting them on the counter. It was Tuesday and Uncle Vernon would be up early. Dudley, probably as well, because he was still on his school's earlier schedule. Aunt Petunia finished making her tea, then sat down at the table to read some letters.

Harry eyed her with just a little bit of jealously. He had only been back two weeks, but he had expected some letters from Ron or Hermione. He desperately wished that he could send Hedwig out to them, but Uncle Vernon threatened to shoot her if he saw her in the sky. Harry also wished he could get a letter from Professor Snape, though he wasn't exactly sure why. He would have no idea what to say to the teacher if he were to get a letter. But on some level, Harry wished he could just confirm that the man was real. That Hogwarts was real. That he had friends now.

Harry began to cook the bacon and wondered if he should stop hiding in his cupboard whenever he couldn't sleep.

Just as the toast was popping up, Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen, in an oddly good mood. Apparently his sucking up at work was beginning to pay off and one of his bosses was thinking of coming over to dinner. "Petunia! It smells delicious in here!" He leaned over and gave a sloppy kiss.

Aunt Petunia tittered in a disturbing, girlish way. "Oh Vernon!"

Harry didn't point out that it was because of his cooking that the kitchen smelled good. Dudley soon came rumbling down the stairs, giving Harry his customary glare, before submitting himself to being hugged by his mother. Harry put the toast on the table as he finished up the last of the bacon. Vernon was already praising himself for his work the past couple of weeks, expounding on how his superiors had finally noticed what an asset to the company he was. Aunt Petunia looked enthralled, clutching her tea with excitement. Dudley was too busy already shoving his face with food to listen.

As Harry put the bacon on the table, and witnessed the purely magical act of his cousin and uncle inhaling it without choking or burning themselves, he buttered his own toast.

"'Arry!" Dudley sputtered over his mouth full of bacon. "Gimme the butter!"

Harry, feeling just a little irritated, replied. "You forgot the magic word."

The scene froze. Aunt Petunia looked to have swallowed a lemon. Dudley looked terrified, as if he had been struck by lightening. And Uncle Vernon…he looked ready to strangle Harry.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, BOY?!"

And suddenly Harry's summer became much worse.

* * *

**A/N: This has been months overdue. Mostly because my writing schedule is more than a little hectic. But in lieu of my first ebook having been published in July (please look to my profile and subsequent blog for more details) I've decided that I should really start posting chapters. As a warning, updates will be (at best) sporadic. But I figure all those who have been waiting for a sequel should at least get what I've written so far.**


	2. Chapter 2

Severus Snape was staring at the Daily Prophet.

He wasn't reading the article. But staring at the picture. It was the Weasley family, the entire innumerable cacophony of fiery gingers, standing before the pyramids of Giza. They all waved eagerly, wearing ridiculous turbans and sunburned arms. Apparently Arthur Weasley had won a raffle of sorts and found himself with enough gold to take his entire family on vacation to Egypt.

There was something…off about the picture, however. Despite receiving it nearly five days ago, Severus couldn't seem to put it down. He had ceased reading the article, as it had no useful information, but the picture…the picture would not let him alone.

Since Severus returned to Spinner's End two weeks ago, having finally completely his yearly end plans for Hogwarts, he had the almost unbearable sensation that he was missing something important. For three days, he practically torn apart his modest home, trying to find something he wasn't sure he was missing. Now he was sitting here, amongst a shameful disarray of his personal belongings, unable to look away from a family portrait.

Severus forced himself to set the newspaper down, upon the pile of old research material that he had recently unearthed. He stood up, scattering various books that had fallen around his legs. He walked to the kitchen, preparing a mug of tea, trying to ward off the persistent feeling. He looked to the curtained window, too caked in dusk to even let the morning light in. Impulsively, he stood before it and tried to rub a spot clean with his sleeve.

"_I want to…stay here with you."_

A memory and Severus had to admit it was likely to be the cause of this restlessness. His last conversation with Potter had been far too open-ended for his liking. And though Severus did attempt to try and figure out the situation happening at Potter's relations, the boy was tight lipped. Without a solid confession and no other concrete proof, Severus had nothing to bring to the headmaster.

So Potter returned to his home, as with all the other students. And Severus spent two weeks at Hogwarts cleaning up the mess that the school year always seemed to bring. Briefly, before he left, he had sent a small correspondence to Potter. It was a simple query that he had arrived at his residence, but the boy hadn't responded.

It shouldn't bother Severus, Potter was not even twelve yet and had the attention span of a flobberworm. Surely, in the excitement of returning home, he had merely forgotten to reply. Perhaps the entire matter was in Severus' mind.

_"Do your relatives mistreat you?" _

_"I don-t…They-…If they d-did, could you-…would you do anything about it?" _

Severus' arm was still on the window, pressing into the glass, hand clenched into a fist. Perhaps if he wrote the headmaster about—

About what? A few words barely spoken to him half a year ago? Besides, the headmaster had to know more of Potter's relations than Severus. If there was something…concerning happening, he would have to know.

He whirled around, planting himself back onto his chair, uncaring of the mess still surrounding his feet. There was more to this feeling, a sense of being off balance. He felt like he was missing something very important. Something forgotten. He looked back at the discarded Prophet.

Perhaps it was nothing at all.

Perhaps he could try another letter to Potter.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry wasn't hungry. He wasn't hungry or sun burnt or angry or lonely or stiff or anything like that. He was just tired. The kind of tired that went deep into his bones and kept him awake all night because he was so _tired_. He didn't like sleeping much anyway, his dreams were never good.

Harry was kneeling in front of Aunt Petunia's pansies, pulling out the small, delicate weeds from between them. It seemed all he did recently was weed and her garden was pristine. Harry wanted to go inside, have a drink and maybe sneak some cheese from the fridge, but he knew his aunt would throw a fit.

They had locked up all his school supplies, including his wand and broom. And even if he wouldn't dream of riding his broom around Privet Drive, he still liked to look at it and admire it. Harry couldn't even tease Dudley anymore about casting curses on him.

He rubbed the back of his head. Petunia had wicked aim with the frying pan.

It had been over three weeks since he had left Hogwarts and Harry was feeling more than a little bitter about the fact that he hadn't received any letters from Ron and Hermione. Not that he would have had much time to read them. The Dursleys had been working him like a dog to get the house ready for this important dinner party with some business contact of Uncle Vernon's.

Harry had been outside, everyday for the past several days. He had weeded, cut the grass, painted the siding, trimmed the hedges, and even scrubbed all of the windows. At least tonight he would be able to rest peacefully in his room for awhile, since the Dursleys all but wanted him to disappear before the guests came over.

"Boy! Get in here!" It was Petunia, her voice just a few pitches more shrill than usual.

Harry wiped his hands on his pants and stood up, glad that he was done for the day. He walked inside to find his Aunt already dressed and primped for the evening. He could hear Dudley and Uncle Vernon in the other room, going over the evenings plans with ridiculous detail. Harry's mouth watered over the smell of the roast in the oven and the sight of the massive pudding on the counter.

But his aunt was already swatting him up the stairs. "They will be here any minute!"

So Harry convinced himself that he wasn't really hungry, or even thirsty and ran up the stairs. By the time he closed the door, he could hear a car pull up into the drive.

Ready to collapse onto his bed, he found it occupied by another.

"Ah!" Harry whirled back and slapped a hand over his mouth.

It was a strange, small creature. He had big eyes, big floppy ears, and seemed to be wearing a stained pillowcase as a tunic. Harry backed against the door, a little terrified. Hedwig squawked softly in her cage, having been woken by the noise. Harry quickly went to her, placing his hands over the cage.

"It's okay, please be quiet." He eyed the door, but no heavy footsteps were impending. So he looked back to the creature.

The creature looked back with terrified, wide eyes. "Master Potter, sir. Such an honor. Such an honor." He bowed, simpering.

Harry leaned a little away. "What-I mean, who are you?" he asked warily, keeping his voice down.

The creature snapped his eyes back up to him, suddenly filled with tears. "Who am I? Who am I?! I am the lowly Dobby, a house elf. Not fit to be answering to such graciousness! Such-!"

Harry reached toward him, much the same way he had just done with Hedwig. "Please, keep it down! My relatives-" He looked to the door, hearing the low murmuring of chatter. He looked back. "What are you doing here?" He desperately wished he could ask what exactly a house elf was. But it seemed important to try and get the creature to leave first.

Dobby sucked in a deep breath. "I am here to warn you, Master Potter, from grave danger!"

His voice was too loud and Harry winced as he heard Vernon's voice make a loud excuse about Dudley's television set being left on. Harry whispered hurriedly to Dobby. "What danger? What are you talking about?"

"What danger-?!" It was too much for Dobby. He gave out a strangled cry and began to beat himself against Harry's bedside table.

"Stop it!" Harry hissed, grabbing the tiny wrists and hauling the house elf away.

"You must not return to Hogwarts," Dobby rambled. "Master Potter is too important. Must not return to Hogwarts."

"I have to go back to Hogwarts. You don't understand. _Please_, be quiet!" There was heavy footsteps on the stairs and Harry hurriedly shoved Dobby into his closet.

The door flew open and Vernon was practically purpled face as he barked. "What is _wrong_ with you? You just ruined the punchline of my Japanese car salesman joke! No more _noise_, you here me or there will be no food for a week!" he snarled under his breath and left.

Harry rested his head against the door, feeling a headache coming on, before he turned to Dobby. "You see? I have to go back to Hogwarts. I have friends there and-"

"Friends who don't even care enough to write?"

"Well, its probably because-hey!" Harry pointed a finger. "How do you know that?"

Dobby, all at once looked guilty and stricken and fearful, and began to _scream_. A few crumbled letters appeared from under his pillowcase and he began to ramp himself against the wall. Harry dove for him and managed to wrestle him to the ground. The commotion was too much for Hedwig and she began squawking in her cage.

There was total silence downstairs, and Harry could feel his heart beating out of his chest. Dobby just kept wailing. "Master Potter must _not_ return to Hogwarts."

"I _have_ to, Dobby. Listen to me! Please be _quiet!_ They'll lock me up otherwise.!" Harry hissed, but it was no use. Dobby eventually wormed his way out from under him and ran through the door.

Harry immediately bolted after him, pausing slightly on the stairs. The chatting had resumed and Harry padded down the stairs as quietly as he could. He darted across the hall and into the kitchen, and froze as he saw Aunt Petunia's masterpiece pudding floating near the ceiling.

Dobby was standing there, obviously using some magic to hold it up. "Master Potter must not return to Hogwarts."

It fell and the crash was deafening.


	4. Chapter 4

Severus was standing in his back lawn, staring up at the clear night sky. This summer wasn't going to be a good one, he could already tell. First his unnerving paranoia at the beginning of summer, the lack of any response from his letters sent to Potter, and now an unexpected visit from the headmaster.

Severus stood in the shadow of his lawn, waiting for Dumbledore to make an appearance. Naturally, Severus kept up wards against apparating within his property, but after the rushed missive from just a few hours before, he untangled his spells enough to allow the headmaster inside.

It didn't take long, with a loud crack, Dumbledore appeared. Severus immediately stiffened when he noted the headmaster's somber, weary looking eyes. "Dumbledore," Severus nodded and motioned for them to walk inside.

Dumbledore sighed. "Good evening, Severus. I'm sorry that I could not visit you on a more pleasing occasion."

Severus opened the back door and let Dumbledore enter first. "What is unpleasant about the occasion?" Dumbledore spoke as if it was obvious, but Severus had not read in the Daily Prophet or heard of anything amiss in general.

Dumbledore waited until Severus had closed the door and put up a few temporary wards. It unnerved him to take down his apparating protects. "I suppose you wouldn't have heard. Though soon, probably by morning, the news will be available to even the muggles." He sat down heavily in one of the chairs in the cramped living room.

Severus remained standing. "What news?" he asked impatiently.

Dumbledore looked at him carefully for a moment. "Cornelius Fudge as seen fit to inform me that Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban."

Severus felt his eyes go wide, but he otherwise schooled his features. "Indeed? And I assume he was under no _confundus_ charm while he told you this? I was under the impression that no one could escape Azkaban."

"I thought as much myself. But no, there is no mistake. Sirius Black is missing and free in the world. Soon the ministry will inform the wizarding public at large. Then the information will be carefully fed through to the muggles."

"Muggles?" Severus paused. "They will know a wizard mass murderer is on the loose?"

"Not precisely, it will be handled delicately. But you have to understand the importance of them being warned. Black will not discriminate between wizards or muggles." Dumbledore suddenly looked rather weary. "As you can imagine, the upcoming school year will be…complicated." He let out a weak chuckle. "Since this morning, I have received an average of two owls an hours of what sanctions and 'protections' the Minister would like to put on Hogwarts."

Severus folded his arms. "Is that why you've come here? To discuss these measures with me?" He had no idea what the ministry will have planned, but he had no doubt with would both be a supreme overreaction, just to look competent in the public eye.

Dumbledore gazed at him for a short why, making Severus thoroughly uncomfortable. "No, not precisely." He pulled out his wand and summoned a pot of tea and a couple of cups. He placed them on the table. "Perhaps if you sit down, I could explain what I would like of you."

It sounded oddly of a task Severus would loath, but ultimately, accept. He stepped first to his shelf and pulled his own tea leaves down. He handed them to Dumbledore and watched as the headmaster measured them into the pot. "I prefer to stand," he murmured.

Dumbledore only nodded, filling his cup of tea with a copious amount of sugar. He looked around the living room, eyebrows raising at the mess that Severus had left out. "Redecorating, Severus?"

Severus folded his arms. "I have misplaced something," he answered simply.

Dumbledore nodded, as if he understood, and drank his tea slowly. "With the escape of Sirius Black, you know there is more at stake than the safety of the general public and Hogwarts."

Severus frowned. "You mean Potter, correct?"

Dumbledore's eyes lightened slightly. "Always perceptive. Yes, Harry's safety will also have to be addressed."

"I was under the impression that his relation's residence was more than adequate protection." He tried to keep the words from sounding biting, but he knew Dumbledore would see through him. How often had he questioned the headmaster about the boy's relatives at the end of the previous year? How often had Dumbledore brushed him aside?

Dumbledore set down his cup. "Circumstances have obviously changed, Severus." His tone only slightly reprimanding. "Which brings me to the point that I must ask you to visit Privet Drive and asses that Potter is adequately secured there."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "Why me?"

Dumbledore tilted his head. "A number of reasons, though surely you are aware of them. Most other professors at Hogwarts are preparing for the new measures placed by the ministry, including Minerva. Arthur and Molly Weasley are currently out of the country with the rest of their family. I would never willingly give up Potter's residence to the ministry. Or to most other of my acquaintances." He was smiling, his eyes glimmering in the low light. "But these are all merely logical excuses. I'm asking you this because I know you would want to be the first to know whether Potter is in any sort of danger. Or perhaps I am misreading you concern that I witnessed just five weeks ago?"

Severus resisted the urge to snort, know it would only please Dumbledore to see such a childish reaction. "Hardly concern, headmaster. Merely a…curiosity of mine."

"Indeed." Dumbledore carefully drank his tea and Severus was confident he was trying to hide an even wider smile. Once he recovered, he lowered his cup, finishing it. "Well, I trust you will inform me of any necessary changed after you've visited Harry."

Severus nodded and found himself sitting across from Dumbledore. "Now tell me what the ministry feels needs to be changed around the protection of Hogwarts."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Just as a small warning. I've labeled this story as a hurt/comfort fic. But it is rather heavy on the hurt. Or the trauma.

...

Enjoy!

* * *

_Dear Harry,_

…_I've already finished my summer homework….I cannot wait to begin reading through the new texts for our second year!…My parents and I are going to visit my grandparents in Bulgaria…_

_Harry…_

…_Egypt's been great…I can't believe my dad won all that gold!…will send you a souvenir once we get back…Scabbers hasn't been looking so good lately…Hope your Aunt and Uncle are treating you fair!…_

_Mister Potter_

…_Please inform me of any difficulties upon your return to your relation's residence…_

Harry read over the notes on his bedroom floor, barely focusing on the words. He had already read through them multiple times and had practically memorized them. It felt good that his friends had sent him letters, even if they were a few weeks late.

Harry rolled onto his back, staring up at the bottom of his bed. When Uncle Vernon had come to take his magical things away, Harry had barely managed to save his letters and the picture of his mother. He kept them in a loose floorboard beneath his bed and found himself spending long hours just lying there, rereading them.

Harry wondered what happened to Dobby. He still really didn't understand what the house elf was trying to warn him of. But apparently his uncle adding several bolt locks to his door and bars on his window was enough to keep Dobby from returning. And Harry from returning to Hogwarts.

He wouldn't be surprised if the Dursley's refused to ever let him out again. They seemed to be slowly forgetting about him. Today Aunt Petunia didn't even bring him any food, which she always shoved so impatiently in the flap at the bottom of his door. She only brought him a piece of bread yesterday. Maybe they were trying to really starve him this time. Before they always threatened it, but they still gave him something to keep him alive.

Harry traced the warped bed frame, watching the dust fall on his arm. The dinner party hadn't been a success, if he could tell from the arguments outside his door. Uncle Vernon went into work today with some sort of plan to repair the damage, but if he wasn't successful…

Harry decided he would stay under the bed for awhile. Probably for a couple days, unless he got some more food. He picked up the picture of his mother, just barely visible in the fading light of late afternoon. She was in the swing, kicking the ground softly, but barely moving. She leaned against one of the chains and looked out from the picture pensively.

"Can you see me?" Harry whispered. She didn't move from her position or react in any way. "Well, if you can, could you get me something to eat?" He was so hungry, even his stomach had stopped growling. Instead it ached. "Or maybe find a way to let Hedwig out?" The poor bird had been suffering about half of Harry's rations. He suspected the only reason she did not complain more was because she somehow knew he couldn't do anything. "I think she would really like to fly. It's been…over a month, I think. I don't think it's been my birthday yet. I don't think it's been that long. But she…" He twisted himself so he could look across the floor of his room.

He had placed Hedwig on the floor, so he could spot her easily from here. She was skinnier than when he first got her and her feathers were dirty and brittle looking. She preened herself compulsively and a pile of them rested on the floor of her cage with all her droppings.

"Hey girl," he whispered and she looked up at his with big, golden eyes. "I promise, when we get to Hogwarts, I'll never lock you up again. You can just fly and go where ever you want. Doesn't that sound nice? I'll feed you, if you like. Or you could catch some fresh mice in the forest. A nice, big fat mouse. Sounds good, eh?"

Hedwig cackled softly, before resuming her preening. Harry smiled and rested the picture against his chest. He almost felt he could sleep, even though he had been doing little else but sleeping since the Dursley's locked him up.

A car pulled up and Harry was instantly awake. He curled tighter into a ball under his bed, his eyes locked on the bottom of his door. Vernon opened the door loudly and it seemed to shake the house. Petunia was instantly there, trying to console him in a shrill voice. Dudley was gone for the night, apparently. Vernon was shouting and stomping and…he threw something and it broke.

Harry shivered under the bed, eyes unable to look away from the door. "If you can see me, please help me," he whispered. "Please-"

Vernon was stomping up the stairs. Hedwig was also looking at the door, puffing up her feather in agitation. Vernon was at the door. He paused, for one brief, silent moment. Then slowly began unlocking all the bolts.

Hedwig began to make soft screeches and Harry hissed at her. He didn't want Vernon to target her. She was helpless in her cage. The door swung open and Vernon stepped into the room with heavy footfalls.

"Boy, you there?" His voice was harsh, biting. "Come out. No funny business. You come out _now_!" The door slammed shut and Vernon was suddenly yelling, tossing around Harry's small collection of clothes that had gathered in the closet. "Where are you!? I told you to COME OUT _NOW!_"

Hedwig screeched loudly and Vernon whirled on her, kicking her cage across the floor. "No!" Harry darted out form under the bed, catching her before she could roll too far.

"_YOU!_"

Harry was yanked by the back of his shirt. But the fabric was so old and flimsy, that it ripped. Harry darted to the corner, putting Hedwig's cage down. He couldn't hide now, it would leave her too exposed. But when he turned around, he received the back of Vernon's hand. So blunt, that Harry hit his bedside table as he fell. He had the strangest thought that Dobby had also hit his head against the table too.

Then he woke up.

Harry gasped, as if he hadn't been breathing, and choked on the dust he was lying on. He looked up to see Uncle Vernon still above him, but Aunt Petunia was suddenly there. She had both her thin arms around one of his beefy ones. His knuckles were spattered with blood and Harry wondered how he had gotten hurt.

His ears were ringing and he couldn't quite understand what they were saying. But Uncle Vernon was pale and sweaty and staring at Harry as if he had grown a second head. Aunt Petunia was crying. Harry had never seen her cry and he realized how scared he was.

He began to crawl his way back under the bed. His head ached with every movement, but he felt too exposed. He knew Hedwig would be safe, for some reason. He saw Petunia's feet slowly shuffle Vernon's away. The closed the door softly. Or at least it sounded soft to Harry, his ears were still ringing. He didn't hear them lock the door, but he was beyond trying to find a way out.

Harry pushed himself into the furthest corner under his bed, and memorized the dust.


	6. Chapter 6

Severus stood in the darkened street. The house was small and nondescript from its neighbors. There were a few lights on, despite the late hour. So Severus remained in the shadows as he observed the protections.

The blood wards were there, he could feel it, as he waved his hand near the property barrier. Most wizards or witches would have no idea it existed, but Severus had been trained too hard to not detect such subtle protections. It would let him in, which he found to be…somewhat pleasing to note. Though there was something odd about it. Something…strained or tired feeling to it. Like a string drawn too tightly.

Severus shrugged it off as a testament to just how long it had been there. Or perhaps the circumstances of its creation. In any case, the property could use a few more support wards. He would have to be just as subtle, as to not arouse suspicion from any interested parties.

The door slammed open. Severus automatically ducked behind the hedges and listened as someone started the car and quickly drove off. Severus did not recognize the man in the car, though he was wondered if that was Potter's uncle.

He stood up slowly, after the car had turned the corner at the end of the street, and was surprised to find the front door was still open. He recognized Petunia, even after all these years. She stood, silhouetted by the light inside, staring at him.

"I thought someone was there."

Her voice was…odd, he decided. He remembered how shrill she had sounded when she was a child. Now she was quiet, voice hoarse. They stared at each other for a long moment. Finally, she sighed and walked back into the house. She left the door open and Severus took it as an invitation to enter.

There was a shattered flower vase on the kitchen floor. A strange sight, considering the rest of the house was spotless. Petunia stood in the hall, just past the stairs. She crossed her arms, observing him was a rather resigned distaste. "We never wanted him. Never asked for this. We tried to make the best of things, but…" Her eyes looked hollow. "I knew someone would come for him," she whispered.

Severus frowned. "How do you mean?"

She turned and walked into the living room. He noticed that she was swaying, unbalanced. She did not seem inebriated, but like she had been injured, though she showed no other signs. "I've been hearing _her_ voice for weeks." She walked out the back door and Severus could see her standing in the darkened yard, just staring at the sky.

Severus felt distinctly uncomfortable. The air was thick around him, almost too thick to breathe. And he knew, he _knew_, where Harry Potter was.

Severus walked up the stairs and stopped at the door with at least ten different locks and bolts. There was a dog flap attached to the bottom and Severus found it disturbing. The door was open and he nudged it with his foot.

The room smelled vile and Severus wrinkled his nose. There were feathers and bird droppings, dirty clothes thrown about, and a bucket in the corner that explained the worst of the smell. He stepped into the room cautiously, observing how everything seemed broken. From the television set, to the bed, to the doors on the closet. There were bars on the window.

Severus spotted Potter's owl in one corner. She was malnourished, molting, and staring at him intently. He walked over to her and she shifted, trying to puff herself up to look intimating. Near her cage, on the floor, was a spot of bright blood.

Severus knelt softly to the floor and looked under the bed. The bed was broken, sunken, and had very little room for anyone to crawl underneath. But Potter was there, curled tightly onto himself, and staring, unseeing, at the floor.

He was pale, with his face bloodied, and shaking minutely.

Severus reached out and managed to grip one of his ankles. He carefully pulled the boy out, but Potter didn't react, just let himself slide against the floor. A variety of letters and a picture came out with him. Severus automatically pocketed them and assessed the damage.

A black eye. A bloodied nose, but not broken. An abrasion to the side of his head, possible concussion. Malnourished, un-bathed, and, despite being conscious, not reacting to any stimulus.

"Potter." His voice sounded odd, hollow, even to himself. "Can you stand?"

The boy's eyes eventually moved from the floor to staring blankly at Severus. He did not respond in any other way.

Severus turned to the owl and opened the cage with a flick of his wand. He had no real care of any magical restrictions the ministry might have placed on this house. Efficiency was more impotent that the Restriction of Underage Sorcery. He then turned to the windows and disintegrated the bars. They fell as iron dust on the floor. He opened the window and turned to the bird. "You should leave, I will not be able to take you."

She hopped out of the cage, unsteadily, and flapped her wings a few times. Even in her degenerated state, she would be able to fly. But she didn't move to the window, instead walked awkwardly to Potter's face and began to gently preen his hair.

Potter blinked, for the first time, and looked at her. "Hedwig," he rasped, then closed his eyes.

Severus stepped forward, kneeling down. "Potter, where are your things?" Despite the chaos of the broken room, he had not spotted any spell books, wand, or cauldron.

Potter looked at him for a long while, as if he couldn't figure out what he was seeing. "Cupboard under the stairs," he murmured, then looked back to his owl, Hedwig, who continued to preen his fringe.

Severus stepped from the room and went back down the stairs. The cupboard was locked, but it opened easily to his wand. With no further delay, he shrunk everything inside to be able to fit in his pockets. Then he returned upstairs.

"We are leaving, Potter." The boy didn't move, but Hedwig hopped out of the way as Severus knelt down and picked up the limp body.

Potter was light, almost weightless, and made no move to hold on or to question what was happening. His head hung awkwardly until Severus shifted it enough so that he rested against his chest. Shock, Severus decided, the boy was in shock.

As he exited the room, he felt claws sink into his shoulder and he turned to find Hedwig settling herself there. He shifted his shoulder, to dislodge her, but she only gripped tighter. He let her stay and walked down the stairs. Briefly he looked to Petunia, who still stood outside, then left the house.

Severus felt it when he stepped off the property. The blood ward was disintegrating, breaking. It felt like an electric pull against his skin and he looked down to find Potter's hand tightly clenching at his robes. The boy was wincing, paler with the blood drying on his face.

Severus made it to the curb and the tension was gone. The bond was broken and suddenly his chest felt heavy. He placed Potter on the curb and sat beside him, feeling his stomach churn and bile ride in his throat.

The room, the owl, the house, the boy. He could feel it now and it felt _disgusting_.

Severus retched into the street, but nothing came. He had seen worst in his time. He had seen people brutalized and betrayed, broken to a shade of a person, and he had done it himself. But this was…this was unexpected, horrible, disgusting. And though Severus' perception of who Potter was had been fracturing over the past year. It broke now into slicing shards.

This was no pampered prince of James Potter. Not spoiled, not glorified, not given the world on a silver platter, not loved. This boy, this _child_, was…forgotten. Severus retched away his blind ignorance, his unreasonable judgment, as his body protested ever having stepped into that room.

The moment passed and Severus realized he was on the curb of an empty street, with Potter lying beside him. He sat up and checked over Potter again with the light of his wand. He probably had a concussion and Severus couldn't risk the strain of apparating him. Hedwig shifted on his shoulder, he had forgotten she was there. He looked up to…something staring back at him. Large, dark, monster. Severus automatically stepped back, raising his wand higher.

There was a deafening bang. And Severus was on the walkway again, Potter in his arms, the boy's fragile head cradled in one palm, and Hedwig flapping against his ear. There was a massive purple bus suddenly skidding down the street.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus. Emergency transport for the witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike and I will be your conductor for this evening." The boy, barely of age, looked up at Severus with a bored expression, which immediately turned to terror. "What the 'ell happened 'ere?!"

Severus realized that Potter's face was still bloody and pressed it against his robes. He stepped forward and Shunpike stepped back, almost tripping over the bus' steps. "Tanner's Row, Cokeworth."

Shunpike looked at his menacing scowl, to the bird on his shoulder, and Potter, who was _still_ unresponsive. "Uh, maybe you should try St. Mungos, yeah?"

Severus managed with one hand to extra a few galleons. "Tanner's Row." Then he stepped forward. And Shunpike backed off.

"Uh, okay, yeah. Ernie? Can we be movin' on, yeah?" Shunpike escaped next to the driver and Severus headed up the stairs.

There were few people in the Knight Bus tonight and the top floor was deserted. The bus lurched forward and Severus steadied himself. He hated public transportation. Finding the cleanest bed, Severus put Potter down and began to closely asses his injuries.

Hedwig fluttered and landed on the bar at the head of the bed and proceeded to hoot indignantly whenever the bus made a sharp turn. "I told you to make your own way," Severus muttered as he cleaned off the blood. "Potter?" He tapped the side of the face with his fingers. "You cannot sleep yet."

Potter blinked wearily up at him. "Sleep too much anyway." He seemed to be becoming a little more lucid. He looked around. "This hotel moves too much."

Severus gripped the handlebar at the window as the bus came to a sudden stop. "Indeed. Tell me, do you have any other injuries besides for your head?"

Potter looked at him curiously. "You know, he's never done that before. It was so…strange."

"Potter." Severus snapped his fingers. "Are you injured elsewhere? Can you stand?" If he could get the boy to walk off the bus, then hopefully the conductor and driver wouldn't immediately call down the Aurors.

Potter looked around for a moment more, before his eyes landed on Severus. "Why didn't you come before, Professor? Why didn't you _find me?_" And then he started to cry. Loud, angry, childish tears. They looked painful, more painful than the bruise on the side of his face, the cut on his head.

Severus flinched away from the sight and Potter curled onto himself, burrowing into the cheap covers, stained with his own blood. His body shook, convulsing. Severus found himself leaning against the nearest bed, at a loss.

Hedwig began to make a chattering noise. She leaned from one foot to the other, clearly disturbed, and chattered louder. Potter looked up from the sheets, face wet and red, and looked to his owl. "Hedwig?" He reached out and she landed on his arm, careful to not to sink her talons in. She flapped her wings slightly and cooed. Potter gave her a broken smile and began to stroke her feathers, smoothing out the broken ones. He looked up at Severus. "Is she hurt?"

Severus felt himself unfreeze and move forward. "She seems uninjured."

Potter ran his fingers through her feathers and lift one wing. "She got kicked around, before I-" His eyes unfocused momentarily. Then he blinked and held Hedwig out slightly. "Could you look at her?"

Severus stared at the bird, which seemed to be staring pensively back at him. He opened his mouth to speak, but a shout rang up the stairwell. "Tanner's Row! Comin' on up, Tanner's Row!"

"This is our stop." He held out his hand. "Can you stand?"

Potter frowned, but nodded. Suddenly, Hedwig fluttered from his arm to Severus' shoulder. She seemed to sink her talons in with a bit more force than necessary. Potter sat up from the bed and carefully put his feet down. He held on to the bedpost, but was able to stand.

"Do you feel any pain?" Severus looked to his legs, but they didn't seem broken, nor did anything look swollen.

Potter slowly let go of the bedpost. "No, I'm fine."

The bus lurched to a stop and Potter nearly fell over. Severus grasped his elbow. "Come." He didn't let go.

Potter's hand came over his and he gave another broken smile. Though it could have been directed to Hedwig on Severus' shoulder. They walked down the stairs and Stan Shunpike stood by the door, looking at them warily. He looked to Potter. "So yeh okay, yeah?"

Potter stared at him, then looked to Severus, before nodding slowly. "Yeah, I'm alright."

They exited the bus and Potter looked around the abandoned street. Severus watched the Knight bus until it disappeared down the street. He looked down at Potter, and realized his grip had shifted so now the boy was holding onto his elbow, leaning against his body. "Are you still able to walk? We are still a few blocks away."

Potter looked up. "You don't live here?"

Severus snorted. "Hardly." He began walking forward, letting Potter lean on him. Mentally, he began to compose what he would say to Dumbledore, what he could say. Many of his actions had been out of line tonight, but…there were so many more actions out of line.

Potter leaned heavily against him, though his eyes remained alert. "What time is it?"

"Approximately, one in the morning."

They walked on in silence, though it was obviously that Potter shouldn't be walking yet. He was sweating and breathing heavily from the exertion. Perhaps that kid on the Knight Bus did have a point, perhaps Severus should have brought him to St. Mungo. But the amount of publicity he would receive there would be outrageous. Nonetheless because Severus Snape, ex-Death Eater, brought him there. Yes, it was best to err on the side of caution. If the boy needed further care, Dumbledore could bring him later.

They turned the last corner to Spinner's End and Severus stopped them before his house. Potter looked at the crumbling, old building with mild curiosity. "This is your house?"

"Yes." Severus pushed him forward, up the walkway. He waved his wand, adjusting some of the wards so Potter could enter. He lit some of the lamps as he stepped inside. "Come upstairs. You need to lie back down."

Severus' house wasn't large, nor especially well-furnished. But he did have one guest room that had a mattress and a sheet. Banishing the dust and summoning a blanket, Severus pushed Potter into the room.

Potter stepped into his room hesitantly. "I'm going to sleep here?"

"Yes." Severus pulled back the covers and found Hedwig hopping off his shoulder to perch on the bed frame. He gave her a shrewd look, but then walked over to open the window. Though he highly doubted she would actually leave.

Harry sat uneasily in the bed. "Whose room is this?"

Severus pushed him down by his shoulders. "It doesn't matter. Take off your shoes." He summoned a glass of water. "Since I am relatively confident that you will not slip into a coma, I'm letting you sleep. Drink this first."

Potter accepted the glass, shuffling out of his shoes. "What's in it?"

"Water," Severus stated. "You're dehydrated." malnourished, uncared for, and with a battered head.

Potter drank it gratefully and settled into the sheets. He looked up at Hedwig, then back to Severus. "Could you check her out for me, please? I hope she hasn't broken anything…"

Severus leaned forward the pull the blanket over Potter, hoping to encourage him to not delay anymore. For some reason, the action made Hedwig hop from the bed, back to his shoulder. Her talons weren't as sharp this time. "Rest, Potter."

Potter nodded once, then closed his eyes.

Severus sighed and straightened himself. He glanced at the bird on his shoulder and she looked at him with just as much scrutiny. He exited the room and went to his study to write a quick missive to Dumbledore. It was the middle of the night, so the man probably wasn't awake. He kept it short and sent it through the floo, lessening some of the wards so notes from Hogwarts could come through.

Then he went into his meager kitchen. It was dusty and dirty here, as he hardly every used it. Even during his summer stays at Spinner's End, he hardly ate anything complicated, and never cooked.

He made for himself a mug of tea and a bowl of water for Hedwig. He set both on the table, before sitting there himself. Reaching up carefully, he detached the owl from his shoulder and placed her on the wood. "If you insist on not leaving and seeking out your own comfort, then I am forced to see if you are injured. You understand this, yes?"

Hedwig hooted and settled to sit on the table, drinking daintily form the water bowl. Severus sighed and reached forward, extending her wings and feeling them for breaks or discomfort. Either the owl was stubborn or uninjured, she made no complaint. While her wings weren't broken, the state of her feathers and skin was deplorable. Severus didn't have proper owl treatments in his house, but he thought he could help the dry skin.

Summoning a bottle from his laboratory, located in the basement, he caught it and held it up to the bird for scrutiny. "Aloe oil. It will help your dry skin." He couldn't believe he was talking to the bird, but she seemed…rather more intelligent than most. She hooted and held up one wing, exposing the tender skin underneath. Whether from her own compulsive pecking, or just general malnourishment, it was raw and bright red.

He rubbed the oil into the skin and felt her flinch, but otherwise didn't protest. Severus raised an eyebrow at her. She was definitely wiser than most owls and he wondered how Potter came to chose her. For a time, Severus sat there with the owl, rubbing the oil into her skin as she drank the water. He hadn't the appetite for anything, so his tea went cold.

He heard the floo come to life in the next room and stood up. Immediately, Hedwig flew to his shoulder. He looked to her, raising an eyebrow. "Will this become a habit?" She answered by sitting down, her feathers brushing his neck.

When he entered, Dumbledore was stepping through and dusting off his robes. "Ah, Severus." He looked briefly to the owl. "Hedwig, I believe?"

She chattered and Severus repressed the urge to roll his eyes. "I did not expect a response from you until morning."

Dumbledore smiled softly. "I'm afraid everyone in this room is a night owl." His expression hardened. "Where is Harry?"

Severus motioned upstairs. "I am no healer, but I've enough practice that I am confident now he will survive the night."

Dumbledore glanced at him sharply. "Now?"

Severus looked away, heading out of the study and towards the stairs. "He is suffering from a blow to the side of his face, resulting in considerable bruising, a cut on the forehead, general malnourishment and dehydration, and, I believe, emotional shock."

Dumbledore slowed. "Emotional shock?"

"Yes, headmaster. Am I stuttering or have you gone deaf this evening?"

Dumbledore stopped, his hand reaching out to grasp Severus' elbow. "Severus, you must understand that this is…unexpected. Shocking. I am merely trying to convey my surprise and concern." He paused and drew closer to him. "What happened?" he whispered, in the darkened hall.

Severus couldn't meet his eyes. This evening had been unreal for him. Strange and awkward and unexpected. He had reverted to his double agent days, seeing trauma, abuse, terror and feeling nothing from it. He slipped back so easily and now he was finding it hard to unwind.

The feeling of Hedwig's talons in his should helped to ground him, however. He looked at Dumbledore, seeing the confusion and hopeless denial. "His door had five different locks on the outside. A dog flap fastened to the bottom. There were bars on the window and all this school supplies had been locked into a cupboard. There was a human waste bucket in the corner. Rags for clothes and every item was broken or nonfunctional." His voice became completely devoid of emotion. "A human cannot survive in those circumstances. He would have died, Headmaster, without interference."

Dumbledore's eyes lowered and his hand dropped from Severus' elbow. "I believe I should see him alone, Severus."

Severus nodded and turned to walked away. He didn't know where he was going until he stepped outside and found himself in his dark yard. He remembered Petunia, after she let him into her house, that she stood outside and stared at the sky. He wondered what she saw. Then he realized.

She hadn't seen anything.


	7. Chapter 7

Harry had dreams he was drowning. He woke to his hands clenching thick blankets and shivering in cold. He opened his eyes, desperately trying to focus in the dim light and realized he didn't recognize the room.

He froze, staring out at an open window, and wondered if he was still dreaming.

"Harry?"

He turned to see Dumbledore sitting at his bedside and Harry knew that something had gone wrong. "Hullo."

Dumbledore smiled gently. "How are you feeling?"

Harry put a hand to his head. He felt bruised and stiff, but less tired than he had in weeks. "Thirsty," he answered.

Dumbledore handed him and glass of water and Harry drank it slowly. He wondered where Professor Snape was. He was in his house, right? Last night had been some sort of fuzzy dream. It couldn't be real, right? "Where am I?"

Dumbledore took the glass away, putting back on the bedside. "Spinner's End. Professor Snape lives here outside of the school year. He brought you from Privet Drive, do you remember?"

Harry nodded slowly, not really looking at Dumbledore. For some reason, he really just wanted to see Snape. He didn't want to talk about this with Dumbledore. Not that he really wanted to talk about it to Snape, but… "Yeah, I guess."

Dumbledore was frowning, fingers steepled against his lips. Harry felt himself trying to shrink into the bed, but Dumbledore wasn't glaring at him, just somewhere above his right shoulder. "Harry, I… I wish to know what happened last night. Can you tell me?"

Something inside Harry rebelled so violently that he thought he would be sick. Clenching the blanket, he attempted to push it away. "Nothing, nothing happened." He swallowed and it hurt. "Am I going back now?" His aunt and uncle were bound to be furious.

Dumbledore took in a deep breath and leaned back. "No, Harry, I believe it would be best if you did not return at this time." He gave him a gentle smile. "Perhaps you would like to go back to sleep? No doubt you are exhausted."

The pressure in Harry's chest did not lessen, but he managed to nod.

Dumbledore stood and closed the window and curtains. "Good. Hopefully we can talk again once you are feeling better."

Harry shuffled down into his blankets, not responding. Dumbledore left, closing the door silently behind him. Once he was gone, Harry slid out of the bed and stepped towards the window. He spread the curtains and lifted it open, feeling a warm breeze against his face. The sun was shining, making the room a little too bright, but Harry didn't mind. It felt better this way.

He crawled back into the bed, above the covers, but he didn't sleep. His stomach was still bubbling and there was a pressure forming behind his eyes.

A gentle knock, then someone entered. Harry tilted his head until he could see Snape entering, looking like someone had pushed him in. Hedwig was on his shoulder, though, and she flew to Harry's bedpost.

Harry found himself smiling and reaching up to her. "You okay?"

"She is, though it will take time for her to regrow her feathers," Snape answered.

Harry sat up in the bed, crossing his legs. "Thank you for…taking care of her. I'm glad that she's alright."

Snape's lips formed a hard line. "I suspected you weren't resting."

Harry shrugged. "Just not very tired. Um…do you know when I'll be going back?"

Snape made an odd twitching motion before he stepped forward and fell heavily into the chair beside the bed. "Potter, do you wish to return to your relatives?"

"Well, uh, no. I would rather not."

"Then why do you ask?"

The nauseous feeling was rising again. "Well…because I'll have to go back eventually right?"

Snape leaned forward, folding his hands that nearly mimicked Dumbledore. "Harry, you are not required to return to your relations ever again, if you so chose."

Harry felt something lodge in his throat, making him choke. He gasped and felt his eye cloud and tears streaming down his cheeks. He turned away, embarrassed, futilely searching for something to cover his face with. But Snape seized his shoulders, forcing him to look up. He hadn't realized Snape even stood.

"For the love of-…no, don't hide."

Harry couldn't stop shaking. Snape's eyes were very dark, hard, and unblinking. Harry couldn't speak, his stomach churned, and voice trapped. He shook and felt the back of his neck prickle with sweat. Tears pressed painfully from his eyes.

"You mustn't." Snape's voice was deep, unyielding. His hands heavy on Harry's shoulders. "You told me nearly six weeks ago that you didn't want to go back to them. That, if you could, you would want to stay at Hogwarts. Has that notion changed?"

Harry shook his head, still unable to speak.

"Then you must speak this, Harry. Do you understand? You must tell us."

"But what good will it do!" Harry's voice surprised himself. The words felt bitter on his tongue and thick like balm. _What will happen? Where could I go? Who would take me? Would you?_

And suddenly, like the air leaving his chest, Harry wanted Snape to say that. Say that he would take him away. Without hesitation or regret. And while Snape's gaze never faltered, the words were not spoken.

"You have the right to a place you feel safe. A place where you _are_ safe. Remember that." He released Harry's shoulder and straightened himself.

"I…I feel safe here," Harry managed to stammer out.

Snape crossed his arms. "You do? You've barely left this room. You've barely been here for five hours."

Harry felt deflated. "Yes…I do."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Then you may stay, for however long as you feel that way."

Harry found that he wanted to say something in gratitude, but Snape waved him off from speaking.

"Rest. We may talk more once you are fully recovered. For now, rest."

Harry nodded. "Alright."

Snape cast one critical look at Hedwig, who still preened herself on the headboard. Then he left, shutting the door quietly behind him. Harry took a couple of the pillows and propped them up so he cloud lean against the headboard and stroke Hedwig. Snape's words had put a smell ember in his chest. Not very bright, but it felt warm.


	8. Chapter 8

"But he's in danger!"

Severus felt his fingers tightening on his wand, hidden in his robes under the table. Dumbledore was seated next to him and would no doubt notice if Severus hexed Molly Weasley from across the table. Molly and Arthur Weasley, Minerva McGonagall, himself, and Albus Dumbledore were all seated in Severus' grubby kitchen table. Much to his great internal dislike.

Arthur Weasley attempted to calm his wife.

"We all understand Harry is in danger, Molly. That is why we are looking for a safe location for him."

Molly's eyes blazed at Severus. "And how can we trust _him_ to house Harry? Sirius Black is on the loose and I don't care how much you might try to convince me that _he_ no longer runs with dark people. The risk-"

Dumbledore raised a hand. "Severus Snape has my full confidence in the security of his household. Just as much as I have confidence in your household."

Severus resisted a snort. The Weasley's were well-meaning, but he doubted that they even had a simple security alarm for when people entered their property. Nonetheless the dozens of hexes and curses Severus had waiting for anyone stupid enough to try entering his home without expressed permission.

"Then let me stay with us! Him and Ron have become great friends. We've been trying to get in contact with him all summer, in any case."

"Get in contact? While you were parading yourself around Egypt?" Severus cut in.

Molly's chest puffed out. "Don't get all mighty on me, Severus Snape! I know the only reason why you found Harry was because Dumbledore sent you!" She bit her lip, looking to Dumbledore. "Of course, I'm eternally grateful that you did. I couldn't imagine what state Harry would be in if he had been there all summer!"

Minerva McGonagall reached out from Molly's other side to touch her shoulder. "I don't believe any of us could imagine such a thing."

Severus found himself scowling. He could very well imagine it, having seen the room, the house, the child,. Even now, a scarce week that Potter had been staying with him, he could imagine it. The boy had healed, certainly. The wound on his head was only a pale bruise that would soon disappear with continuing application of a healing balm.

But Potter was still thin, still shaken and edgy around Severus. He scurried around the house like a shadow, afraid to open cabinets or the icebox without checking to see if Severus approved of such action. He would sit on the chairs or couch like he was afraid of putting his full weight on it. And yet, Severus would often find him up early in the morning, trying to scrub the grout in the bathroom, or in the kitchen cleaning the stove, or the living room, dusting the books.

Severus never deterred him from such tasks, the boy undoubtedly had little else to occupy his time. What unnerved him was the silence in which he went about these tasks. His head down, shoulders hunched as if to protect himself. He hardly spoke.

But, for some odd reason, if Severus found himself wandering his home late at night, he would find Potter awake in the room. And, on more than one occasion, he would stand near the door and hear the rustle of textbooks, the scratching of a quill on parchment. Potter would do his homework only in the middle of the night in almost total silence. Severus could only wonder where the habit came from.

Dumbledore's voice shook him from his reverie. "There is still the matter of Harry's safety now. While Severus has graciously taken him in for the moment-"

Molly snorted. "_Graciously_, indeed," she muttered.

"_We_ must all be aware that the situation could change very quickly," Dumbledore emphasized. "There are only four more weeks until he can be returned to Hogwarts, where my utmost security can be imposed."

"Are you implying the Dementors the Minister is throwing at you to be 'security'?" Minerva spat.

"The Dementors are for the safety of everyone at Hogwarts, not just Harry Potter."

"They are _nightmares_, Albus. I cannot believe-"

Dumbeldore held up a hand. "Which is why they will be confined to the school perimeter." He gave a crooked smile. "I would not be so careless as to allow them any further. No, I offer a more personal protection for Harry once he returns. But for now, we must rely on each other to ensure his safety. So we come to the main point. Should Harry remain with Severus, or should we transfer him elsewhere?"

"He should live with us, of course!" Molly interjected immediately. Arthur put a hand on her arm.

"We are quite used to taking care of boys. Harry would be very welcome."

Minerva sighed. "And, undoubtedly, it would comfort him to be with his friend. Yes, after the trauma he has gone through, I do believe Harry would be very happy with your family."

Molly was practically glowing and quickly turned to Dumbledore. But Dumbledore was staring at Severus, scrutinizing. "Do you agree with this proposal, Severus?"

"I believe it is not a question of my agreement, but of Potter's. If you truly believe he will be safe, then can he not make his own decision of where he would like to be?"

Molly clapped her hands. "Of course we should ask him. Where is he, Severus?" She asked like she expected him to say 'The dungeon, of course. Where else do you keep children?'

"His room." Or, more likely, on the landing in the stairs, attempting to listening in on the conversation he was expressly forbidden to join. Severus stood. "I will fetch him." He turned and quickly left the room. He had not put one step in the hall before he heard the mad scramble of Harry Potter trying to run back to him room before being caught.

Severus gave him the moment, if only to not have a confrontation in the hallway about respecting his orders. Then he walked up the stairs to find Potter sit in the bed a little too casually, cheeks flushed. "A-ah, hi there."

Severus stepped just inside the door, a motion that he noticed made Potter relax more than if he were to hover in the doorway. "Need I fill you in on the details of that _private_ conversation?"

Potter bit his lip, pulling his own fingers with nerves. "I'm sorry. I just…wanted to make sure of something…"

He crossed his arms. "'Make sure' of what?"

"That I wasn't going to…I dunno, nothing. It was nothing."

Severus had a very strong feeling he knew exactly what Potter had expected to hear. "Well, of what you did _eavesdrop_ on, do you know why I've come for you?"

Potter looked up, eyes hesitant. "You want to know where I want to live until school starts?"

Severus nodded.

"I'm fine here," he answered a little too quickly.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that the Weasley's are offering their home to you, yes?"

Potter was pulling on his fingers again. "Well, yes. Yeah, I heard that. But…wouldn't it be too much trouble for me to stay there?" He waved a hand. "I mean, I don't get in the way here, right? And Ron has a lot of siblings. And I would really like to visit him, but I don't want it to be, like, they have to have me. Right? And if that means you want me to do more chores or something, I can do that. But, you know, if you want me out of the way-then I understand. Yeah?"

He had barely breathed during the outburst and Severus found himself stepping forward. "Potter, cease this mindless rambling."

Potter suddenly stood. "You told me that I have to say what I want." He reached out and gripped the edge of Severus' sleeve. "Well, I'm saying it! I want to stay here, with y-!"

"Harry?"

Potter flinched from Severus, staring at the doorway with wide eyes. Severus turned to find Molly standing there, her face nearly mirroring Potter's.

She looked to Severus and managed to school her expression. "I heard some shouting, thought I better come up." She turned to Potter with a soft smile and glided into the room to kneel before him. "Harry, dear, no one is forcing you to do anything you don't want to." She took both his hands and he stared at her with shocked, flushed cheeks. "And if you would like to stay here with Professor Snape, then we will not make you leave. But…I just want you to know that you would never be a burden on our family. In fact, you would bring such joy to the Burrow! Ron has been talking about you almost non-stop all summer. And Fred and George would love to see you again, I'm sure."

Severus could see Potter bending to her whim. His shoulders were relaxing and his hands were gripping hers tightly. Severus wondered if Molly knew how she was manipulating the boy, her face one of only pure earnest love. But then, was that not exactly what he wanted in any case?

Potters presence in his home had been remarkably less intrusive than he would have anticipated. Of course, he had also gone out of his way to make sure Potter had the space to recover. He had not knelt before the boy and clasped his hands and spoke to him with such simpering motherly words.

Perhaps he should have, for it seemed now he would leave.

A strange thought, Severus brushed aside as Potter spoke.

"You…really want me to live with you?"

Molly smiled, all warmth. "Yes, of course! We all would love to have you stay with us. Will you?"

Potter, for a moment, glanced to Severus, eyes almost pleading. But the emotion passed and he looked to Molly with a shy smile. "Yeah, I guess I will."

Her eyes lit up and she drew him into her arms, squeezing his thin shoulders. Potter remained stiff in her embrace, but made no move to extract himself from it. "Oh, thank you, Harry. It will be so much fun, I promise." She leaned back, standing, still only one of his hands. "Do you need help packing?"

A flash of panic. "We are leaving now?"

Molly seem to stutter. "Well…whenever you are ready…"

"I…uh…I guess I'm ready now then."

"G-good then. Arthur can take your trunk there. Anything else?"

Potter looked around the barren room, eyes finally landing on Severus. "No, I guess not."


	9. Chapter 9

Harry was happy. The Burrow was just about everything he had imagined. It was large, but cramped. Filled with people and magic and food and laughter. The house spiraled up into some crazy maze of rooms and ghouls and practical jokes.

Ron had gotten very sun-burned from Egypt and spent a good deal of time moaning about his rat Scabbers. He also acted like Harry had just arrived for a friendly vacation, instead of mentioning anything mortifying, like how Harry had been taken from the Dursleys or how he had stayed at Snape's house for a week. In fact, any time someone tried to ask Harry how the rest of his summer had been, they were quickly given an 'important' chore by Mrs. Weasley. It all felt a little awkward, but he was grateful.

He just didn't know how he fit into the Weasley family. He was never asked to do chores, unless Ron needed help with him. He was practically forced at least three helpings at every meal. And Mrs. Weasley always got a little upset when she found him awake in the middle of the night, trying to do some homework.

"Why don't you wait until breakfast, Harry? Arthur could help you with that History of Magic homework before he heads off the ministry. And I wasn't so bad at Charms myself. Go back to sleep, dear."

But Harry couldn't quite sleep at night anymore. It wasn't like he was scared or worried. In fact, he hardly thought at all. His mind felt like a fuzz that seemed to clog all his thoughts. And he would lie awake and feel…uncomfortable. And once in awhile a stray thought would surface from the fog.

_Hedwig's feathers falling out. Raw skin under her wings._

_A can of old beans shoved through a door flap._

_Dust under the bed._

_Can you see me?_

_If you can see me, please help me. Please._

_Please._

_A mirror._

_The flames_

_GET THE STONE!_

Harry woke, breathing heavily. He ran his hand over his face, feeling his skin tingle unpleasantly. He turned and saw Ron asleep, blankets twisted around him, snoring loudly. The posters on his walls showed the Quidditch players all leaning against each other, sleeping soundly. Though one player sat up, grimacing at the sounds of Ron's snoring before turning over and going back to sleep.

Harry sat up, putting his feet on the warm wood floor, remembering how the floors in Snape's house were always cold. Somehow, he wished for that cold now, something to shock him awake. The window was open, but only a warm breeze drifted in.

A soft shadow and before Harry's eyes Hedwig flew into the room and landed on his best post. He smiled widely. Ever since coming to the Burrow, she had spent more time away hunting, than lingering around. He had a feeling she didn't like the noise and bustle of the Burrow. While at Snape's house, she had practically never left. Though he suspected she did while he was sleeping, if the dead mice she left in the room were any indication.

Though tonight she didn't clutch some disemboweled mouse in her talons, but a small letter. Harry opened it to find familiar elegant script.

_Mister Potter,_

_Please inform me of any difficulties you might have upon you integration into the Weasley Household._

_Sincerely,_

_Professor Severus Snape_

_Potions Master_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

He hadn't said much in his first letter either, but Harry looked down to it and smiled. There were a lot of things he didn't get about Snape. The way he could be so cold, so demanding, but so…Harry didn't know quite how to think of it. But Snape had asked him once where he felt safe. And what he said had been true. He felt safe around the man. Though he could never say why.

He supposed that this letter deserved a reply.

_Dear Professor Snape,_

_I have been having a very fun time at the Burrow. Yesterday Mrs. Weasley baked me a cake for my birthday, which I forgot that I missed it._

It had actually been the day that Snape had found Harry at the Dursleys. It wasn't until later that Harry realized that. And he certainly hadn't been in the mood for celebrating it. But now he had enjoyed the cake and presents. Which included a sneakoscope from Ron and another lumpy sweater from Mrs. Weasley.

_We are going to Diagon Alley tomorrow to pick up our school supplies and I've finished nearly all my summer homework._

He felt a little obligated to say that last line. He almost thought of signing it there and returning it to Hedwig. But as he looked up to her, watching her preen her feathers that were only just starting to come back. Still, there was skin that was pink and healing. He decided to add more.

_I really want to thank you for everything. I think sometimes I miss your house._

He quickly signed, feeling a little embarrassed and handed it off to Hedwig. She held out her foot steadily, gazing at him with golden eyes.

"If he doesn't have a reply, that's okay. He would probably feed you if you stick around for long enough. Maybe he could still give you some ointment for your skin. Also could you…make sure that he's…alright?" He wasn't sure why he was asking this, why he wanted so desperately to make sure someone checked up on Severus Snape, just as he checked up on Harry.

Hedwig gave a soft hoot and nipped at his fingers affectionately before taking off out the window. Harry turned to see Ron still snoring loudly, turning over to further tangle his legs in the blanket.

Harry smiled and curled into his own bed, pulling a thin blanket over his shoulders.


	10. Chapter 10

Severus Snape lingered near the selection of Chizpurfle Fangs, one eye on the inflated prices, another on the alley street outside. Severus did not often find himself in dodgy apothecaries, such as Mr. Mulpepper's in Knockturn Alley. He strove to grow his own potion ingredients, or purchase them from private, more reputable, sources. Though, he had to admit, on occasion he would find himself in such shady establishments, searching for ingredients not easily found in the more 'pristine' locations like Slug and Jiggers in Diagon Alley.

It also afforded him a clear view of not only Knockturn Alley, but also the entrance to Diagon Alley.

The reasons why Severus felt the need to stake out such a view were somewhat convoluted, even to himself. The strongest was that he couldn't very well stake out a spot in Diagon Alley without actually being present in Diagon Alley while the majority of Hogwart's students were shopping for the upcoming school year. Severus had to withstand their presence for most of the year, he wasn't about to inflict it on himself now.

Movement from down the alley made Severus turn to see a most unusual sight; Lucius Malfoy and Draco Malfoy.

While Knockturn Alley was known for its attachment to the Dark Arts, but was still considered to be 'beneath' most wizards of the Malfoy ranks. Why Lucius would permit himself to be seen like this was most unusual, and sinister. In any case, Malfoy and son was quickly strutting down the alley towards Diagon Alley and quickly blended into the usual mix there.

Severus exited the apothecary, having not bought anything and uncaring of the derisive snort from Mr. Mulpepper that followed him. Stepping into the alley, he glanced towards the way the Malfoy's came from. Down the lane he passed Dystyl Phaelanges, and Cobb and Webbs, and Borgin and Burkes. Severus decided he couldn't very well guess which place might have attracted the attention of the Malfoys. Unless Lucius Malfoy had gotten into the habit of pawning off some of his more illegal artifacts at Borgin and Burkes in order to appease any ministry searches on his manor.

Severus nearly snorted, it did seem like something Lucius would do, somehow. Bastard would try to throw dangerous dark items at some unsuspecting shopkeeper and walk away to purchase school textbooks for his son in the broad daylight.

"Severus? Severus Snape!" He turned, more shocked to find Arthur Weasley rushing down the alley than to see Malfoy there. He was flushed and winded, though he did not take a moment to catch his breath before pulling Severus to a shaded awning. "Severus…thank Merlin…need you…need your help…"

Severus raised an eyebrow before turning himself from the street, hopefully casting his face in shadow. "What are you talking about?"

He gasped. "Harry…Harry's gone…"

Severus found himself reaching out and clutching Arthur's arm. "What?" He demanded, half hoping the man would catch his breath and speak properly to him. "What has happened?"

He swallowed noisily. "Came in through the floo. But Harry…Harry wasn't there…been searching…for over an hour…Molly's with the kids…"

Severus felt his fingers tighten into Arthur's robes. "Have you contacted Dumbledore?"

He shook his head. "No, I was hoping to…find him. Checked the floos in Diagon…found nothing."

Stupid man. "You do realize that there is a mass murderer out for Potter's blood. One that has murdered in crowded streets before?" He felt his jaw clench painfully. "We cannot waste time. Send word to Dumbledore and I will check the floos in this area. Though it is extremely unlikely that Potter has arrived here at all." With that boy's luck he would delivered right into the hands of Sirius Black himself.

Arthur nodded, already pulling out his wand and casting a patrons. "Hagrid said he would be in the area today, but I haven't run into him yet."

Severus would not normally want to be working anywhere near Rubius Hagrid, the oaf tended to cause more danger than avoid it. But he nodded, in any case, already cataloging where the nearest floos on Knockturn Alley.

"Head back to Diagon just in case he manages to find his way there. I'll sweep this quarter."

Arthur Weasley nodded. "Yes, thank you, Severus. Stay in contact." He ran off, huffing down the street.

Severus turned himself and began walking forcefully down the lane. The few rats and dark folk that hung around quickly shrank from his sight. He wished he could pull out his wand and attempt a searching spell, but it would draw too much unwanted attention. Instead, he held it in his pocket and cast a wordless spell. The handle gave off a dim warmth that would hopefully grow as he drew closer to Potter's location.

He checked the Betting Shop, Moribunds, and finally settled at Borgin and Burkes. None of the places had seen any unsupervised boy coming through their public floos. There was also a whole residential district of wizarding households just past the shopping areas and Severus seriously hoped none of them were open to uninvited floo guests.

Too much time was passing, the early afternoon was waning as Severus made another sweep through Knockturn Alley and finally landed in Diagon Alley.

Most of the families had finished for the day, leaving only those witches and wizards leaving work and hoping for some refreshment or last minute item at the end of the day. Severus quickly spotted Arthur Weasley and Hagrid standing to the side of Flourish and Blotts. As he drew closer, he realized that Arthur was sporting a black eye. Hagrid looked to be silently fuming.

Arthur's face lit up momentarily to find Severus approaching, but faded when he noticed no one else in tow. "Ah, Severus, I see you have been as successful as we were."

Severus narrow his eyes. "What happened?" He motioned to his face.

Arthur flushed brightly to his ears. "N-nothing important!"

"Nothin' important!" Hagrid growled. "That Lucius Malfoy was baitin' yeh, Arthur!"

"What?" Severus demanded.

Arthur held up his hands. "It was just as I was checking in on Molly and the kids. We just had a little run in with Lucius Malfoy. That was all." He gave a pointed look to Hagrid.

"Jus' sayin' it was suspicious, is all."

Severus turned to Arthur. "Have you had any word?"

He sighed, shaking his head. "Only had one message from Dumbledore, saying he had all his contacts on high alert. Otherwise, once Molly has settled the kids, she will return to help as well."

Severus nodded curtly, even as his eyes scanned the street. If someone found a wandering Harry Potter, it was sure to bring about some minor explosion. So either the boy had flooed himself to a very remote location, or he was in the hands of those who wished him not to be found.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and whirled to find Arthur giving a strained smile. "It could be harmless, Severus. Once, Molly and I lost Charlie for four hours. But he had just holed himself in the nearest Quidditch shop and lost track of time. There could be no reason at all to worry."

"Your son is not _Harry Potter_," Severus snapped, stepping from his touch. "And I find that's all the reason we need to be on high alert." He refused to say 'worry'. This matter was far beyond anything as naive as 'worry'. "I will head back towards Spellings Road and have a look around the district there."

Arthur's eyes went wide. "Do you think Harry could have gone that far?"

Severus narrowed his eyes. "It has been nearly seven hours since you last saw him. He could very well be in Amsterdam. The magical residential district is being optimistic."

Arthur exchanged a glance with Hagrid. "Well, if you believe that would be a proper course of action, then we will join you."

"No, I think it best we stay split, to avoid unwanted attention."

Arthur bit his lip. "But-?"

Severus held up a hand. "You said your wife would be returning? Wait for her and continue to hold this area until we are absolutely sure that Potter won't find his way here."

"Do yeh think he's really out of the country, Severus?" Hagrid asked.

"If he is, it is only a matter of time that Dumbledore will hear of it and inform us. So, for now, I will continue under the assumption that Potter is still in London. Now, I'll waste no more time discussing this." He quickly left, feeling the eyes following him

Severus turned into the wizarding neighborhoods. The homes pressed close to each other, some barely the width of a doorway. It was prime location for witches and wizards unable to blend into the rest of muggle London, nor had the ability or money to enchant their home to camouflage itself among muggle neighbors. The narrow streets were empty of people, the dim glow of streetlights only sharpening the shadows of rusted gates and garden shrubs.

Some of the windows casted strangely colored light into the streets. One window flashed purple, then a violent red before going dark, in almost total silence.

A moving shadow caught his eye. Large, but too low to the ground to be a 12 year old. It moved quickly across the street and down a small alley. Severus quicken his steps to follow and found something starkly outlined in a lamp across the way. Something furred, a bear? A dog? It shifted out of sight and Severus sprinted down the alley. But the next street was empty except for a rubbish bin shuddering in the wind. Except…the shape wasn't right.

"Harry?" he questioned.

The shape moved and Harry Potter stood from the shadow of a fence. The nearest lamp caught his eyes briefly, filled with something like desperation,before he darted forward. Potter did not let out a small gasp, but was otherwise silent as he launched himself at Severus.

Thin arms wrapped around Severus' torso, shaking even as he gripped him. Potter buried his face in his robes, another small choking sound escaping.

Severus put his hands on Potter's shoulder, attempting to asses the boy's wellness. His hair was a mess, covered in ash, one ear smeared with mud. His clothes were torn, but there was no sign of blood or broken bones. "Potter," he demanded. "Are you injured? Can you speak?"

Potter shook his head, still pressed against Severus' stomach. So Severus knelt, effectively detaching the boy so he could see his face in the lamplight. His eyes were bloodshot, swollen. Cheeks flushed and wet from silent tears now streaming down his face. One pant leg was torn, dried blood from a possible scrap.

"Are you injured?" Severus repeated again.

Potter swallowed thickly. "I'm…I'm alright." His voice sounded clouded. "I just…just…dunno what happened. I was with the We-Weasley's and they told me how to use the…the fl-floo…I-I've never used one before!" More tears burst from his eyes and he hiccuped and wiped his nose with the back of a dirty hand.

Severus pulled out his handkerchief and roughly wiped the boy's face. "You have never used a floo?" Potter nodded, now clutching the handkerchief to his face. It was almost unbelievable, except…Well, there were many unbelievable things in Potter's life. In any case, if he had never used the floo system before, how could the Weasleys send him through alone for the first time? But he put aside his frustration and took Potter's wrists to see his face again. "Where did you arrive at? How did you get here?"

"I… I dunno. It was some…shop selling dark stuff. M-Malfoy was there, so I hid until I could r-run out. But I did-didn't know where I w-was…Where am I?" he sniffled.

Severus stood, wondering if he should check the boy for curses. Well, he certainly couldn't do that in the middle of the street. He would apparate them both back to his residence and do a more thorough search there for any trace of foul spells. Sending out a patronus to Dumbledore and Arthur, he answered Potter. "You are in London, in a wizarding neighborhood outside of Diagon Alley. I suspect you landed yourself in Knockturn Alley, which is adjacent."

"We are near D-Diagon Alley?" He was still hiccuping, but he was managing to calm down a little more.

"Approximately three kilometers." He tucked his wand back in his pocket and straightened himself. "Now come here, we are going to apparate." Potter looked up at him, startled. "Are you ever done a side-along apparation?" Severus felt like he already knew the answer.

Potter shook his head slowly. "Apparating is teleporting, right? Does it hurt?"

Severus ignored the inaccuracy in comparing apparating to teleportation. "It may be uncomfortable. You just have to hold on." He held out his arm, but Potter instead latched himself around Severus' torso.

Facing muffled into his robes, he heard. "Kay, ready."

Severus rolled his eyes but placed a hand on Potter's back as he made the turn. While some side-along apparations could feel strange, he hardly noticed Potter's presence at all for the brief moment. When he found himself in his darkened yard, he looked down to find Potter still clutching him with no apparent movement to let go.

"Can you walk, Potter?"

He twisted his head far enough to look up at Severus. "That was awful."

Severus attempted to untangle Potter from himself, but the boy refused to budge. "Are you incapable of walking three meters into the house?"

Potter only loosened enough to grip his elbow. "We are at your home?"

Severus decided the only way they were going to get through the door was to drag Potter with him. "Yes, I wish to asses you more thoroughly."

"Huh?" Potter blinked as Severus waved on the lights in the kitchen.

"Sit on the table." Even while he said it, the boy still looked distracted. So Severus bent over and lifted him by the armpits to sit on the edge of the small kitchen table.

"Hey! I'm not some kid!" Potter protested.

"Be quiet." Severus waved his wand, first checking the scrape on the knee to make sure it wasn't too deep. A minor scratch, already stopped bleeding. Then he shined it in Potter's eyes to check his pupils. No sign of a confundus charm. He was disoriented, but his reflexes were acceptable. He still was underweight, but not nearly as malnourished as he was only a few short weeks ago.

Potter watched his wand as Severus looked for more subtle curses that might have found themselves on the boy from crashing into Knockturn Alley. "Am I sick?"

"I am assessing whether or not you have been magically injured. Did you meet anyone unfamiliar in Knockturn Alley? Did anyone attempt to coerce you?"

Potter hunched his shoulders. "There was this scary witch trying to sell me toenails, but I ran from her. I didn't know where to go, so I hid for a bit behind some shop's rubbish bins. But I didn't want to ask anyone for directions."

Severus supposed he should be grateful he had avoided people for the most part. Any sort of distasteful creature could be lurking in Knockturn Alley. "How did you come into the residential area?"

"I dunno. But it started getting dark and I wondered if I should find somewhere to sleep or something and then I saw-" He bit his lips.

Severus lowered his wand. "What did you see?"

"A grim." Potter mumbled, look down.

"A grim?"

He nodded, still not raising his head. "There was a store that I stopped at that had some books. The cover had this…monster dog…I think I've seen it before…"

Severus suddenly remembered the night he took him from the Dursley's. Something had appeared in the shadows, but he had forgotten it until now. And he knew he saw something just before he found Potter. "It was not a grim."

Potter looked up at him. "What?"

"The dog, I saw it too. Probably some stray. Death omens don't appear to more than one person at a time."

Potter let out a small breath. "That's good. It was…uh, really big. I didn't know what to do. I'm, um, I'm sorry."

Severus was caught off-guard. "What?"

Potter shrugged his shoulders. "For causing trouble."

Severus took his chin roughly, forcing his to meet his eyes. "Did you intend to travel to the wrong floo location?"

"Well, uh, no. I just-"

"Did you deliberately avoiding going to Diagon Alley?"

"No. I didn't know-"

"And did you make a conscious effort to make it more difficult for anyone you trust to find you?"

His eyes were shining with unshed tears, making the green more glassy and bright. "N-no."

"Then you have no reason to give an apology." He let go of his chin, but Potter reached out, wrapping his arms around Severus' and burying his face in his neck. It forced Severus to remain hunched over, but he couldn't bring himself to move as the boy started shaking, tears wet on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I was scared. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I thought…I thought…" He was incomprehensible. "I was so scared."

Severus could smell the dust and ash lingering in his hair. Could feel the uncontrolled trembling in his arms, the shivering in his entire body. Almost without thought, Severus let his arms fold around Potter, pulling him up off the table. Potter was twelve, but so small for his age. Severus felt his legs lock around his waist and it seemed to ease the trembling wracking through the small frame.

He still wouldn't stop crying and Severus sighed, pressing his chin into his shoulder. "Harry, you are safe now. Be still. You are safe."

Remarkably, his words seemed to have an effect on Potter. The boy began to still, his grip less desperate. Deciding he probably needed rest, Severus cast a wordless featherweight charm so he could carry Potter up the stairs without injury. The boy sighed, face still pressed into his neck.

It was as Severus attempted to put Potter into the bed that that child gripped him slightly tighter, whispering, "Thank you for taking me back."

Then he let go, quickly burrowing himself into the sheets and covering his red splotched face into the pillow. Severus sat on the edge of the bed, noticing that Potter hadn't removed his shoes or glasses. Reaching around the blankets, Severus found the shoes were pulled off easily enough. They seemed to be several sizes too big. Potter's glasses were already sliding off his face, so Severus plucked them from the pillow and put them on the bedside.

Suddenly aware that his appearance was more than a little…domestic. Severus quickly stood and exited the room. Just in time to hear a small alarm that others would soon be invading his home.


	11. Chapter 11

Harry's vision was tunneling. _Get out of the shop. Don't be seen._ The street was unfamiliar, dark. Where was he?

A witch with yellowed eyes cornered him. Her voice was high screeching, grating. Harry backed away, she frightened him. _Don't talk to anyone. Don't look at anyone_. _Don't let them see you._

The streets were curving. Store fronts appeared and passed. People walked down the street and he's afraid to look at them. The lane opened up and Harry rushed for the opening. Homes, he thinks they are. Where was he? Then there was a monster in the shadows, rushing towards him. _Run. Don't let them see you._

_Can you see me?_

_Please help me. Please._

_Dust on the display case._

_Dust under the bed._

_A mirror._

_The flames._

_GET THE-_

Harry shuddered awake, hands aching from his fingernails digging into his palms. Voices drifted into the dark room and Harry realized that they must have woken him. He sat up slowly, the words too muffled to be understood. But they sound angry, even if there isn't shouting.

Suddenly Harry felt very uncomfortable in the room. Quickly, he slid from the bed, wondering when his shoes fell off. Grabbing his glasses, he slipped through the door and tiptoed down the hallway. From up on the landing, the conversation was garbled.

"-bring him back to the Burrow?" That sounded like Mrs. Weasley.

Harry thought he heard Snape, but he couldn't understand.

"We all understand he was in danger, but that is no reason-…"

"The only reason he was in danger was because of you carelessness. Sending him through the floo for the first time alone? I'm not about to-…"

"Molly, Severus…" That was Mr. Weasley. "We cannot be placing blame. A mistake was made, yes, but-"

"A mistake that sent _Harry Potter_ into the dark corners of wizarding London!"

"Now, Knockturn Alley is right next to Diagon-"

"You've no idea how the type of wizards and witches that lurk that street."

Mrs. Weasley spoke up again. "Oh? And I know that you who _exactly_ who roams those parts. _Why_ were _you_ there, Severus! Reminiscing on the old times?"

"Molly-!"

"Arthur, we spent hours looking for Harry. Then Severus shows up and just _happens_ to find him? Then he refuses to return him and instead forces Harry back here! It sounds awfully suspicious! And furthermore-!"

"Harry?"

Harry nearly knocked his head against the banister of the stairs. He had pressed himself so close to it and his hands hurt from clenching the wood. He looked down to find Dumbledore standing in the hall next to the front door. Harry hadn't heard him come in.

"How are you feeling, Harry?" His voice was warm, despite the continued argument in the next room.

"I'm fine," Harry mumbled, wondering if he was in trouble.

Dumbledore smiled in the dim light before glancing briefly at the door to the kitchen. "I did come here to have a discussion with them, but I suppose they aren't in the mood for a civil talk. Might I stay out here with you?"

"Yeah, sure, I guess." Harry shifted on the stairs as Dumbledore sat down just below him. He took a long while to adjust his robes around his knees and Harry could hear Snape shouting now.

"At least I have a sense of urgency! What did you do for most of the day while I wallowed through the filth of Knockturn Alley?"

"I was with my children-!"

"You seem to have forgotten one!"

Harry didn't like the sound of their raised voices. Mrs. Weasley sounded shrill, screeching. And Snape…Snape's low voice became booming and terrible.

"So, Harry, were you able to complete any of your school shopping?"

Harry shook his head. "No. When Snape found me, he brought me back here."

Dumbledore nodded. "Probably for the best. I suppose another trip to Diagon can be easily arranged. How was your stay with the Weasleys?"

Harry gave a small smile. "I really like their house."

Dumbledore smiled back. "It is a feat of magical architecture. You never know what you will find behind the next door. Of course, it would not be so nearly as inviting without the Weasley family, yes?"

Harry nodded, eyes looking back towards the kitchen. "Yeah, they were really nice to me. It was fun." It seemed he messed that up. Maybe if he hadn't left the shop he flooed into. Maybe he should have tried to ask someone for directions.

He also felt bad that he had been so happy to see Snape. He probably would have been happy to see Mr. or Mrs. Weasley, but when he saw Snape on that street he felt…like everything would be better now. That he was safe again.

But now, sitting on the stairs, listening to them all argue over the trouble he caused made Harry curl his legs up, tucking in his chin. He only looked up when Dumbledore put a light hand on one knee.

"Sometimes adults can be a little silly. We get so worried, that is seems easier to find someone to blame, rather than confront our own fears. Or confront just how powerful those fears really are."

Harry swallowed thickly. "Where will I go now? Do I have to…to go back to the Dursleys?" he whispered.

Dumbledore stared at Harry, eyes narrowed behind his spectacles. "Harry-"

"I would send you back to the Weasley clan, the bumbling idiots, rather than send you to those muggles lacking in the barest shreds of human decency." Snape was standing in the hall, arms crossed. "You are supposed to be resting, Potter." His voice hadn't lost the edge it contained why he was shouting at the Weasleys. He noticed Dumbledore also on the stairs. "Headmaster, why did you not inform me of your arrival?"

Dumbledore slowly got to his feet. "I didn't feel the need to interrupt such a lively discussion." He turned back to Harry. "You should do as Severus says. Go back upstairs, try to get some sleep."

Harry stood, legs feeling shaky. "I, uh, I don't want to go back to the Dursleys!" His voice came out more panicked than he intended.

He felt his nails digging into his palms again and he couldn't quite meet anyone's eyes. He barely spotted Mr. and Mrs. Weasley standing behind Snape and knew he was probably very red. He whirled around and sprinted back up the stairs and back into the bedroom

He flopped down on the bed, just as he heard Snape enter the room behind him. He looked up and, while Snape's arms weren't crossed, his eyes were very hard. "Potter, I want to make something very clear. Are you listening?"

Harry sat up and nodded slowly.

"Even if your relations, the entirety of the wizarding world, and even yourself were to ask to me to return you to that wretched _Dursley_ household, I would not."

"You…would not?"

Snape narrowed his eyes. "I would not be coerced into such a distasteful action. And I am very difficult to be convinced by force. So I will say this one last time. You will not return to the custody of your relations. Not while I draw enough breath to curse anyone who tries to force you back there."

Harry found himself flying from the bed and burrowing his face into Snape's robes. Earlier he had felt a little embarrassed at being so clingy and teary, but now…now…

Snape's robes smelled earthy, like freshly picked weeds. They were soft, despite their strict appearance. And they were warm, like nothing Harry had imagined before. "I…want to stay here," he whispered into Snape's black shirt. It smelled a little like sweat and city streets and ash and nothing like the Dursley house. "I want to stay here," he repeated.

Snape's hands felt so large on Harry's back. And they gave just enough pressure to be felt. "Then you will."


	12. Chapter 12

Severus sat at his kitchen table, reading over a letter from a certain Weasley.

_Make sure he gets his three square meals a day with extra helpings! And always have snacks on hand! He needs exercise, so let him ride his broom in the yard. I'm sure even with muggle neighbors your house is concealed from any unwanted attention (and armed to the teeth, as you always reiterate) He also needs new shirts, trousers, and a new pair of shoes. And furthermore…_

Severus resists the urge to roll his eyes at the letter. Did the woman not realize he had taken care of Potter for nearly a week before she ever got her hands on him? Of course, Severus had bee much more cautious about the amount of food Potter received, unwilling to traumatize his system further by going from near starvation to ten meals a day.

And while Severus had never explicitly told Potter he could have full use of the back yard, he had yet to see the boy try to escape there. In fact, Potter, for the most part, seemed almost lethargic. After the disaster of Knockturn Alley and the fallout afterward, Severus had been grateful not Dumbledore, Arthur, or Molly Weasley had fought Potter's exclamation to stay with him.

Molly had seemed a bit suspicious, but she retained from being vocal. Though she seemed to have manifested herself in almost daily letters that constantly repeated the same recipe for how to take care of a Harry Potter.

Steps in the hall and Severus looked up to see Potter standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Severus checked his wand, noticing it was nearly 2 am. "Why are you awake?"

Potter looked at him, a little startled. He had apparently been sleeping in the same clothes from yesterday, a habit he seemed to have, despite having perfectly usable pajamas. "I just wanted some water," he mumbled, putting his head back down.

Severus nodded to the sink and Potter shuffled across the tiled floor, carefully reaching up to the cabinet for a green cup he had taken to using. Filling it up, he barely wetted his lips before setting it down, staring at the counter top. Severus suddenly wondered if Potter's lethargy had something to with this insomnia. Had Molly noticed? Had Potter managed to hide it from her?

Severus stood, waving his wand and summoning a bottle from another cabinet. Potter looked at him, bewildered. Severus held it out. "Sleeping draught. Drink it slowly and finish that glass of water."

Potter padded to him, accepting the potion. He sniffed it briefly, frowning. "Is it what you gave me last year?"

"That was a Dreamless Sleep. This is much less potent."

Potter sipped it carefully, wincing. "Do all potions taste awful?"

Severus leaned back. "Some have said that a good Swelling Draught tastes like an aged whiskey."

Potter stared at him, slightly confused. "That sounds awful too." He finished the vial before putting it down on the table. "Do…do you ever have trouble sleeping?"

"Yes."

His fingers fiddled with the vial. "What do you do about it? Just take potions?"

Severus refrained from answering that the reasons he couldn't sleep at night were something one could not whisk away with potions and magic. Of course, for a time after Voldemort was defeated, Severus had known some nights with undisturbed rest. But last year had taken that luxury away from him again.

Then again, that may very well be why Potter could not sleep either.

Severus stood. "Come, the potion will take effect soon."

Potter nodded, eyes already dropping. "Oh, okay."

Severus pushed him back up the stairs to the bedroom. Stepping inside, he noticed the meager contents of Potter's trunk had managed to fall all over the floor. Including a couple of short letters Severus had sent him. He picked one he had sent Potter at the beginning of summer. "You've kept these?"

Potter crawled into the bed, flopping on top of the blankets. "I didn't have them for the longest time. Dobby kept them from me."

Severus looked up. "Dobby?"

Potter shrugged. "Elf? House elf? Is that what they are called?"

He was obviously being affected by the potion. Severus put aside the letter. "I expect you to clean this room tomorrow. I will not be purchasing you new school supplies to have them thrown across the floor."

Potter gave a soft giggle. "Pay for me? Why'd you do that?"

Severus took the blanket, roughly pulling it over the boy seemingly incapably of lying in the bed properly. "You are under my care, Potter. I will not be lax in my responsibilities."

His eyes dropped, though his strange smile lingered. "Sounds nice," he mumbled.

Severus sighed and plucked the glasses from his face. Setting them on the side table, he noticed another piece of paper. Looking at it idly, he saw Lily staring back at him.

He had given it to Potter last Christmas, he remembered. Thought he could not remember why for the life of him. What had possessed him to track it down and then give it over?

She looked out at him, hands folded in her lap. Slouching and eyes drooping like she was as tired as Potter. She looked older than he remembered and found it strange.


	13. Chapter 13

Harry remembered the feeling he had the first time he entered Diagon Alley. It was like climbing to the top of a tall tree, to the part where the branches are just a little thin and sway with any small breeze. Then, he would look down and feel like he could see the next town over. And he would think, if he just jumped, even the smallest wind would carry him right over to a soft landing on the other side of the fence.

That feeling, just before he might jump, was the kind of feeling he got in Diagon Alley. Strange, exciting, and nothing like he had ever known before. This was the second time he would visit and he wondered if the feeling had worn off after a year.

Of course, stumbling out of the fireplace, Harry was getting the feeling like he had accidentally jump from the tree and found out that he was going to just fall straight down. He hated the floo, it made his eyes itch and his throat sore. He coughed, looking up at Snape casually dusting off his robes.

"Why couldn't we apparate again?"

"Because one wrong turn in the floo system is only more reason to correct the experience."

Harry looked behind at the large fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron. A lot of witches and wizards were appearing from it today, though he noticed only little kids actually came through with an adult. Harry suddenly felt a little ashamed that he had ridden along side Snape instead of by himself.

He startled to feel Snape's hand against his shoulder, pushing him forward out the back door. "I'll go by myself on the way back, okay?"

Snape raised an eyebrow at him as they walked through the wall, now perpetually opened by the heavy traffic. "As you wish."

Harry nodded and looked up to see the bustle of Diagon Alley before him. Harry smiled, absorbing the bright sunshine and friendly chatter. He kind of wanted to stop at Florean Fortescue's for some ice cream, or maybe browse a little at Quality Quidditch Supplies or about a hundred different things. But Snape's hand was hard against his back, pushing him towards Flourish and Blotts without hesitation.

Then Harry remembered the lecture he had been given about how they were only going to spend one hour or less and that was final before they left Snape's house. But Harry couldn't help but drag his feet a bit around the street. They were in Diagon Alley! There was so much to look at!

Harry almost felt like his first trip there had been a dream, that the wizarding world just didn't exist unless he was there to experience it. Of course, spending time with the Dursley's made it hard to believe that Harry had more to his life than a cupboard and some old house spiders.

They were almost inside the bookstore, when Harry whirled around. "Oh! I need to go to Gringotts! I haven't been there since last year."

Snape narrowed his eyes and opened the door. "That will not be necessary. Don't block the entrance."

Harry didn't quite understand, but he was being pushed inside the shop and immediately became distracted by the amount of Hogwarts students there. He didn't recognize most of them, he was only a second year. But he did see Neville Longbottom and waved. Neville just turned pale and quickly ducked behind another bookshelf.

Harry thought it was strange until he noticed most of the students seemed to be avoiding looking at him and they constantly dodged out of the way. It was a little weird. But then he remembered he had a feared Potions Master lingering behind him.

"Harry!" He looked up to find Hermione Granger bounce towards him, throwing her arms around his neck. She had gotten tan since they last talked. She smiled brightly. "How are yo-oh! Professor Snape!" She detached herself from Harry, eyes wide with shock.

Harry looked over his shoulder unsurprised that Snape managed to look dark and looming in the cheery shop. "Yeah, we're shopping. How was…France?"

Her eyes were looking between them in complete confusion. It was an interesting expression on Hermione. "Ah, Bulgaria. It was lovely. I thought Ron said you were staying with his family?" She said it in a whisper, but Harry had the feeling Snape would be able to hear it anyway.

"Yeah, I was. For awhile." Harry felt his cheeks flushed and he wasn't quite sure why, but he didn't know how to tell Hermione he had been staying with Snape for the past couple of days. And he had stayed with him before he went to the Weasley's for about a week. "I, uh, am surprised you haven't gotten all your books yet. School's starting next week."

"Well, we just got back." She waved over her shoulder where her parents. They were currently at a shelf, flipping through a book together, equal expressions of shock and wonderment. As far as Harry could tell, it was a book about how to take care of Kneazels. "We would have met up with Ron and his family last week otherwise. I was pretty sure you would have gone then too?"

Harry flushed even deeper. "It…didn't work out. But I'm here now, want to shop together?" Anything to get her off asking him questions about where he was living.

Hermione wasn't so easily sidetracked, he could tell. Her eyes still flickered between him and Snape, but her expression softened and she took his wrist, towing him further into the store "Sure! Let me show you this fascinating author I've recently picked up. Mum! May I have the Gilderoy Lockhart book?"

As Hermione showed him the entire store's collection of this Gilderoy Lockhart, Harry couldn't help but look up and find Snape sneering in the corner. No doubt the man's plan for only one hour in Diagon Alley was about to be extended indefinitely.

But even Snape couldn't cut in on Hermione's almost constant chatter. She seemed to want to fill Harry in on everything she did that summer. From her trip to Bulgaria, camping with her parents, and redoing her homework about three times.

"Well, I couldn't just turn in my Transfiguration essay as it was! Not after reading _Wanderings with Werewolves_ by Lockhart! There was so much more I could add. So I just rewrote it entirely. You should pick up a copy too. Completely changed my views on the process of human transmutations."

Harry looked down at the copy, the cover mostly filled with some guy winking and smiling toothily and touching up his wavy hair. He swore he thought he heard Snape give off a snort behind him. Hermione didn't seem to notice and clutched the book to her chest.

"If only Gilderoy Lockhart could be our Defense professor this year!"

It suddenly hit Harry that they would need a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Quirrell…obviously couldn't fill that position anymore. Harry turned to Snape. "Do you know who it will be?"

Snape looked slightly startled to be drawn into the conversation suddenly. "No, I do not," he said shortly. Harry suddenly wondered if maybe they wouldn't have one, after the disaster of last year.

He turned back to Hermione who was staring at Snape like she had forgotten he was there. "Well, we should probably pick up our books and move on, right?" They had only gotten through five of these books Hermione was obsessed with and Harry was really creeped out by the winking wizard on the front cover.

"Oh, I suppose." She put the book aside and headed back into the shelves towards her parents. "I've already gotten just about everything. But here is _The Standard Book of Spells Grade 2_." She picked up a copy from the shelf and, in a strange moment, handed it over Harry's shoulder to Snape. We won't need another Transfiguration text or History of Magic. But we do need a new one for Herbology and Potions."

As she said this, she plucked each book from the shelf, handing them all over to Snape. Harry would wonder more at the strange action, if Snape didn't so easily accept them. But even with all the required texts, Hermione still insisted on spending time wandering the shop and plucking up new finds to show Harry and her parents.

By the time they left, even Harry could understand why the corner of Snape's eye kept twitching. Hermione didn't notice, leaning over Harry's school list. "Do you need new robes yet?"

"Ah, no, mine fit fine."

"Good, I need to stop at Wiseacres to pick up a new set of brass scales. I do believe mine got misaligned this summer and I haven't been able to fix them." Hermione managed to chat her way through four shops, keeping a steady hold on Harry's wrist if he ever started to lag. She also managed to get Snape to buy Harry a new set of scales and a new pewter cauldron.

"I remember yours become so rusted last years. And you know that will affect your potions, right Professor Snape?" She seemed to include Snape at random intervals, as if testing to see if he will actually respond.

"Indeed." He only looked down at her with narrow eyes. But Hermione wasn't so easily intimidated.

She linked her arms with Harry. "Did you know that Madam Malkin's sells shoes? Wizarding shoes! I hear that because they can be made from dragon hide and other magical things they are much better quality."

Harry felt himself shrinking a bit. "But I don't-"

"Potter, it would be valuable for you to consider new shoes."

Harry looked up at Snape, wondering why on earth the man was encouraging Hermione. But then, his sneakers did used to belong to Dudley. It would be nice to see what new shoes felt like.

Hermione beamed up at Snape, towing Harry from the store. "Come on lets go try some. Maybe I'll have a look at the quality of the other clothes that are available."

One hour turned into five, including a lunch break and a snack break. And it wasn't until Harry found Snape handing over some sickles for some ice cream that he realized he had been paying for him all day. Harry hadn't even realized it, too distracted by Hermione's chattering and her parents who seemed just as fascinated with everything as she was.

Even as Harry felt a small lump of guilt form in his stomach, Hermione was pulling him to a table and insisted that they all share so they could try each others flavors. Harry imagined that if he had gone shopping with the Weasleys there would have been a whole lot more chaos, yelling, and a reprieve in which him and Ron and possibly Fred and George snuck off to the Quidditch shop and oogled in silence for a long time.

But it was okay, because despite how much Hermione talked, she barely ever asked about Harry's summer. Only little things like. "Oh, you have to tell me what the Burrow was like!" "Have you been getting the Daily Prophet recently?" "Have you finished your homework yet?" He was eternally grateful that she never mentioned the Dursleys, nor directly asked why he was staying with Snape. Of course, it could be that she didn't want to pry with Snape standing right there.

It wasn't until the sun began to set that Snape's hand managed to wrap around Harry and clutch his shoulder. "It is time we should be going."

Hermione only smiled brightly. "Okay, see you on the Express then, Harry!"

Harry was practically towed away by Snape back to the Leaky Cauldron and the floo. The restaurant was full, though the fireplace far less busy then it had been. Without a word, Snape took Harry into the green flames with them on what seemed a much shorter ride back to the house.

Only after arriving did Harry realize he forgotten that he wanted to try to ride it alone. But when he turned to Snape, the man was pulling out all of their shopping and tapping them with his wand. He had shrunk everything after purchasing and kept it all in his pockets.

"Take these upstairs and pack them in your trunk now. I do not want you be to putting this all away last minute."

Harry took the packages, biting his lip. "I can…pay you back. I've plenty of money if we go to Gringotts…"

"Potter," Snape walked over to one of the lumpy chairs in the cramped living room. He sat down heavily. "Why today's extended excursion was unintended, it was necessary. You will be saving your money for when you are an adult and have more important bills that need to be paid." He rubbed a hand over his face. "Granger seems to be on the same wavelength as Molly…uncanny," he muttered under his breath.

He did look absolutely exhausted, so Harry didn't argue and just took his things back up to the room with his trunk. Everything as a bit of a squeeze, so Harry removed all of Dudley's clothes and put in the fresh ones he received today. Looking at the new pair of sneakers, which were supposed to repel mud, he couldn't help but feel a little giddy.

If he had anything half as nice in primary school, he doubted the other kids would have been so mean. Of course, Dudley would probably beat them up anyway. So maybe the new shoes would have only been good for running away.

Harry decided to put Dudley's old clothes aside. Maybe he could ask Snape where to throw them out. He did a brief sweep of the room to make sure he hadn't missed anything. Spotting a picture on the nightstand. He carefully laid it on top. His mum was swinging merrily and laughing and Harry desperately wished that he could hear her, like the portraits at school. But he did like her smile.

Looking down at his trunk, which sort of looked like a tornado packed it, he smiled and latched it.


	14. Chapter 14

Severus would usually head back to Hogwarts a couple weeks early to prepare for the years classes. But with Potter taking up residence in his home, he could only take day trips. The first day he was gone, he came back to find the stairs and hall had been dusted and cleaned. The next, the kitchen. Then, after a particularly harassing day in which he had a minor disagreement with Pomona about her quality of ogre grass. He came home to find half of his books had been dusted and organized. The other half still sprawled across his living room floor and a certain Harry Potter surrounded by the rest.

He stood quickly as Severus stepped out of the floor. "Oh! Sorry, I thought I would finish earlier…"

Severus stepped around the stacks waiting to be returned to the shelves. He had never put much thought into his organization. Keeping tack of potion ingredients, student coursework, and personal projects seemed much more important than the stores of books he had mostly inherited from his mother. Whenever he collected a new one, it was put on the shelf wherever it fit.

However, there were some things hidden away in the shelves that Severus was curious if Potter encountered. Going to one shelf that seemed to be intact and fully dusted, he removed a thick tomb _16th Century Alchemy in Britannia_. Spying behind it a flask of fire whiskey, Severus looked over to Potter, eyebrow raised.

Potter blushed faintly, looking up from his reading of Petronius' _Satyricon_. "I didn't touch it."

"Ah, and it just dusted itself then?"

"Okay, I touched it a bit, but I didn't drink it or anything!"

Severus replaced the book. "Tell me, precisely, why you feel compelled to clean my house."

Potter slowly put the _Satyricon_ on the shelf, placing Horace's _Sermonum _next to it. "Just thought…you would like it…"

"Like it?"

Potter's fingers traced the bindings of the old books. "You know, cause I'm staying here and all. Figure I could…repay you or something."

"Have I give you the impression that I need payment?"

"N-no, not really."

"Have the Weasleys ever asked you for payment?"

"No."

"Did you clean their house while you were there?"

Potter was looking down, hands limp on his lap. "No. Mrs. Weasley didn't like me to do much chores. She would just try to feed me instead. And I guess that probably made her happier."

Severus cleared enough of a path to step to his chair. He felt heavy as he settled into it. "Did your relations ask you for payment?" he sighed out the words.

Potter was facing away from him, shoulders tense. "I…um, I'm not sure."

Severus touched the edge of his jaw thoughtfully. "Did they demand that you perform chores for them?"

"Y-yes."

"And did your cousin also perform chores?"

Potter's voice was a near whisper. "No."

"So why were you assigned them?" Potter didn't speak. Severus gave him a long moment, but when it was obvious nothing was forthcoming, he spoke again. "Come here."

At first, he thought the boy wouldn't obey, but after a tense breath, he stood and walked over to him. He stood next to the chair, lips pressed together in a white line, head bowed low. Severus leaned forward until he could look up and attempt to meet Potter's guarded eyes.

"Tell me."

"They, uh…they said I was a b-burden. That I was no…no good for any-anything."

"Were they happy when you completely a chore? Something like cleaning my kitchen? Or reorganizing my whole library?"

Potter's lips were shut tight again, so Severus reached out, taking both of his hands, forcing him to finally meet his gaze.

"Potter?…Harry-?"

"No, they weren't. I couldn't…couldn't make then hap-happy." Tears were streaming freely down his face. He jerked his hands free and wiped them hurriedly. "I'm sorry."

Severus ignored the apology. "Perhaps you could not make them happy. But you were never obligated to. You are not obligated to make _anyone_ happy. If someone cannot find satisfaction in caring for you, you are not obligated to change their poor judgment." Potter was still crying, thought obviously attempting to stifle it. "Your relations…the Dursleys were cruel in their treatment of you, Harry. You were abused at their hands and that is why I took you away. No child is obligated to endure that. And no adult has the right to make you endure cruelty. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Potter nodded, hands covering his face. "D-does that mean…you do-don't want me t-to clean your house any-anymore?" He hiccuped the words.

Severus sighed and leaned back. "You may clean the house, if it pleases you. You may ride your broomstick in the yard, if it pleases you. You may eat whatever I supply in the kitchen, if you so wish. All I require of you is that you do not put yourself in danger and attempt to complete your schoolwork in a timely and orderly manner."

Potter's eyes were red, bloodshot, but he looked up, stray tears still falling. "Really? You want me to do homework?"

Severus resisted the urge to snort. "Your parent's generous Gringotts vault is meant as security for your adult life. How could such wealth be properly utilized if your education is wasted?"

"So it would make you happy for me to be good at school?"

"Did I not just explain how you are not obligated to anyone's happiness? It includes my own."

"But I want-"

The floo suddenly flared to life, revealing the disembodied head of Arthur Weasley. Potter jumped nearly a foot in the air and backed away from the fireplace, keeping his back to it. Severus stood before the fire. "Arthur?"

"Ah, good to catch you Severus. Just wondering when we should be expecting Harry tomorrow? I've managed to secure some ministry cars and Molly would like to take an early start."

Severus looked over his shoulder, noticing Potter slowly school his expression before turning back to the fire, mask in place.


	15. Chapter 15

Harry opened his eyes to the bright lights of the train compartment.

"I'm going to talk to the conductor. Everyone eat this, I'll be back momentarily." A soft voice. He heard the compartment door open and then close.

"Who-?" Harry gasped.

Ron was at his back, helping him sit up. He had somehow fallen on the floor. "Professor Lupin. He woke up just as that…_thing_ was trying to come in. Cast some sort of spell and then the lights came on."

Harry looked around to find Hermione holding Ginny, both pale and shaking. Neville was mopping his face with the edge of his robe, slouching low in his seat.

"No, I meant…who screamed?" Harry asked again.

Ron was holding a large bar of chocolate, unwrapping it slowly. "Scream? I don't think anyone screamed. Ginny started shaking really bad, though."

Harry accepted a piece of chocolate, unsure why Ron was handing it out chocolate. "No one screamed?"

"I heard muttering…" Neville said, shoving the chocolate into his mouth.

"It just…just felt so cold and alone," Ginny muttered, letting Hermione give her a piece.

Harry suddenly realized that he had totally blacked out and fallen to the floor. "Wait…did I faint?"

Ron stood, looking out the compartment window as the train started to move. "For a minute, maybe. _Merlin_, where do you think that thing came from?"

"What _was_ it?" Ginny asked.

The door suddenly opened, startling them all. The shabby professor that had been sleeping before the terrifying experience reentered. "A Dementor. Don't panic, we will be arriving at school shortly." He looked to Harry, smiling. "Eat the chocolate, Harry."

Harry looked down at the piece in his hands. Putting it on his tongue, it suddenly filled him with a gentle warmth. He accepted another piece from Ron eagerly.

"What is a Dementor?" he asked.

"A magical creature with a most disturbing effect. But they are here to protect us."

"It just felt…awful," Hermione said.

The professor nodded. "They feed on happiness. A most effective weapon. But not to worry, it was a mistake that one made it on the train. You will hopefully not have to meet one ever again. Now, I'll go check on the rest of the students. Excuse me." He left.

Hermione sighed. "I would be very glad never to feel that way again."

Harry slouched in his seat, the chocolate suddenly tasting a little too sweet on his tongue. "At least you didn't faint," he mumbled. He could tell it didn't bother his friends too much, but it bothered _him_. He had just spent almost the entire summer feeling pathetic. It would be nice to come back to school and not do something so embarrassing like _fainting._ They had only a few minutes before the train stopped in Hogsmeade, and they spent it in almost total silence.

Exiting the train, Harry could spot the castle gates and more Dementors surrounding them. Would they have to pass by them again in order to get inside? He bit his lip and stumbled into one of the horseless carriages with Ron and Hermione.

Luckily, they seemed to spread away as the students came closer. But Harry felt the numbing cold in his chest again, his hearing fading and something like a distant _scream_…

They were inside the gates and the feeling left. He looked at Ron and Hermione, and though they didn't look happy, they didn't look any more affected than they had when they exited the train. The castle loomed up above them and, somehow, this year it looked more menacing than the last. Maybe he would feel better once he was in the Gryffindor Common room with all the warm reds and golds.

Stepping from the carriage, Harry noticed Snape and Madam Pomfrey were standing at the entrance. Pomfrey was checking each student that looked ill and force feeding them chocolates or other potions.

"Can't believe several managed to get on the train! Children are not meant to be next to the likes of a Dementor!" She was ranting under her breath and Harry knew he desperately didn't want to be checked up by her.

But Snape was standing just behind her and he noticed him immediately. "Potter! Come here!"

Pomfrey looked up, eyes glinting in the lamplight. "Another? Mr. Potter, let me have a look at you."

Vainly trying to ignore the stares of everyone around him, Harry approached. "I'm fine."

Pomfrey tutted, obviously not caring about his opinion as she attempted to wave her wand over him. He stepped back.

"I'm fine, really."

"Potter, don't be difficult." Snape's eyes were too dark to read. But Harry didn't want him to know that he had fainted on the train.

"I'm okay. You don't need to-"

"I've already seen to Mr. Potter." Harry turned to find Professor Lupin standing just behind him. He gave Harry a gentle wink before turning to Madam Pomfrey. "I was with him on the train."

She didn't look convinced. But it was enough that she lowered her wand and Harry was able to make a hasty escape back into the crowds. He only looked behind him long enough to notice Snape giving Professor Lupin a disgusted scowl.


	16. Chapter 16

"Have you finally gone mad?" Severus demanded, making a rapid circle around Dumbledore's office. "You hired the former close friend of the criminal Sirius Black, who is on the _loose_, to be the new Defense teacher?"

Dumbledore folded his hands on the desk. "Lupin might have been an old friend to Black. But that was their school days, Severus. Lupin has never been affiliated with any dark wizards, nor was he remotely connected to Black's massacre."

"And you have proof-?"

"I do not need more proof than what has already been established over the years."

"Why did you not just find someone else? Someone of a less dubious background." Severus waved an exasperated hand.

Dumbledore raised his eye brows. "Strangely enough, when our fine institution has a hard time keeping Defense against the Dark Arts professors for more than one year, it often casts a bad light to potential candidates. Plus, the unfortunate demise of Professor Quirrell last year leaves my list of contacts very bare. Yes, it is quite fortunate that Remus Lupin is willing to take on the job."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "He's a werewolf."

"Ah yes, that reminds me. I'll be needing you to prepare the wolfsbane potion once a month for him."

"Headmaster, you are inviting in a werewolf into a school of _children_."

"Yes, a place where he once succeeded as a student. Remus is very familiar with how to take precaution in this environment."

"_A place where he nearly killed a student!_"

Dumbledore smiled. "With the wolfsbane, it will be highly unlikely that any other incidents will occur." Dumbledore looked at Severus seriously. "I understand this may feel like a…personal slight, but I do not feel that a man should be judged solely on mistakes from his past. A past he has very well moved on from, don't you agree, Severus?"

Severus scowled. He would make the potion, despite how much he would rather the man be thrown back into the dump, or where ever Dumbledore had manage to find him.

"First the Dementors and now a werewolf? I'm seriously questioning your methods of security at this school."

Dumbledore pressed to fingers to his forehead, rubbing slowly. "The Dementors are something which I rallied against for months. But since the escape of Sirius Black, the ministry insist their presence be around the school."

"And on the Hogwarts Express?"

"It is unfortunate that they are not easily controlled. It is a small wonder I can keep them outside the school grounds at all."

"That inspires such confidence."

A knock on the door interrupts them. Dumbledore waved a hand and a certain Defense professor entered the room. "Remus, I was expecting you."

Lupin looked at Severus warily. "You needed to speak to me?"

Severus scowled down at the shabby robes and scars lining Lupin's face. He did not trust this man, for all his meek appearance. Lupin attempted to avoid eye contact with him.

Dumbledore answered. "Severus has kindly volunteered to make your wolfsbane potion for you."

Lupin glanced at Severus. "Truly? Well, I'm much obliged. I take it that I won't have to seclude myself in the Shrieking Shack?"

Dumbledore smiled. "No, I should think your office would be sufficient. But on the the topic of possessed places. It seems that there is a boggart taking up residence in a cupboard in the old Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. Would you mind taking care of it? If you require assistance, Severus would be most capable in helping."

Lupin, again, looked to Severus still glaring at him. "Ah, I think I'll save it for my third year class. A good practical lesson, yes?"

"Even better. Thank you, Remus."


	17. Chapter 17

Harry stepped into the first potions class of the semester with a certain sense of dread. It seemed that Malfoy had learned that Harry fainted on the train, which prompted many outrageous reenactments during meal times. He certainly didn't want to see him in Potions and have him perform it in front of Snape.

He also still wasn't sure how he was supposed to act in Potions. He had been living with Snape for a couple of weeks and they've…had some talks that we probably wouldn't share with anyone else, not even Ron or Hermione.

"I don't understand why your nervous. Maybe he'll be easier on you than the rest of us!" Ron commented as they headed towards class. Harry was actually starting to feel a little ill.

"Professor Snape is the most difficult teacher in school, Ron. I'll doubt he'll be easy on anyone, even Harry," Hermione said.

"Well, he's always easy on Malfoy, right?" Ron shot back.

Harry felt his stomach twist. He had spent a lot of last year just trying to pass the class. But it was known throughout the school that Snape favored the Slytherins. And Malfoy did seem to get more attention during class from Snape.

They were almost there when Hermione put her hadn't on his shoulder, talking softly. "I'm sure if you try your best he'll be proud of you." Harry looked at her reassuring smile, but he wasn't sure if she believed it. Granted, she had spent an entire day with him and Snape at Diagon Alley. And she seemed to be more understanding of Harry spending a good deal of his summer with Snape.

Not that Ron was totally against it, he just didn't understand why Harry would chose Snape over the Weasleys. In fact, he had been a little moody when they met up to head to King's Cross. But he seemed to have forgotten his attitude after the encounter with the Dementor on the train.

They entered the classroom, which is already darkened with the fumes from previous classes. Harry looked over to find Malfoy already performing the impression of Harry fainting. Harry quickly looked up, but Snape was talking to some older student at his desk and hadn't noticed.

Harry sat down quickly, putting up his cauldron next to Ron. "Prick. I heard from Fred and George that Malfoy screamed like a baby when the Dementor came around." Ron muttered under his breath. Harry smiled.

"Silence!" Snape spoke over the mild chatter. Harry flushed, feeling suddenly as though he had done something wrong. "Take out your essays," Snape continued, waving his wand to summon them to his desk. "As you've had three months to complete the simple assignment, I expect them all to be at least an acceptable standard. Something, I'm sure, which is dismally out of reach for some here."

His dark eyes landed on Neville, who was sitting next to Hermione. Neville actually let out an audible squeak, making the Slytherins snicker.

Snape turned his wand to the board, revealing the ingredients and directions for a Sleeping Draught. "As narcotic potions were a part of your homework this summer, I expect each of you to perfectly execute this simple potion. Anyone who doesn't will have to automatically rewrite their essay for next class. You have twenty minutes. You may begin."

Instantly, everyone leapt from their seats to the ingredient cupboard. Harry felt his hands sweating as he set up his cauldron and mentally repeated the instructions. Put one liter of Nikko spring water into the cauldron. Bring to a boil. Crush lavender with flobberworm mucus until they make a paste. Set aside. Steep valerian sprigs into the cauldron, reduce heat.

It wasn't a complicated potion, but one that relied on precise temperatures. Steep the valerian sprigs at too high, and the effect would boil off. Too low and it would be too potent. Half of Harry's essay had been about how to keep your narcotic potion from putting people into a coma. Unless that was truly the intended effect of the potion.

Carefully crushing his lavender, Harry turned to see Ron was already adding his flobberworm mucus in, despite it not being very smooth. Hermione had also taken over Neville's lavender and mucus mortar as he attempted to keep his cauldron from over boiling.

"Granger, concentrate on your own work and cease assisting Longbottom! If he insists on making a sleeping poison from abusing his valerian, then let him!"

Hermione turned pink and quickly went back to her own potion, muttering an apology. Harry felt a little bad. He had studied with Neville a couple times last year and he wasn't stupid or anything. He just tended to get nervous and make stupid mistakes.

"Maybe Hermione wouldn't have to help if you would stop hounding over Neville." The words left Harry's mouth before he could think twice about it.

The room went silent, even the bubbling cauldrons seemed muted. Or perhaps he just couldn't hear them over the buzzing in his ears. Harry felt everyone staring at him with shock and awe. He had the desperate wish that he could slide under his desk and spend the rest of the class there.

Snape took one step and was standing over Harry's cauldron. Harry couldn't even look up, his neck was burning and he couldn't feet his hands or feet.

"What was that, Potter?" His voice was biting.

Harry flinched. "Nothing, sir," he mumbled.

"Are you sure? Because it sounded to me like two weeks of detention."

Harry bit his lip, feeling like he was going to draw blood. He didn't know what to say. He shouldn't have spoken, but he wouldn't take it back. Snape was standing over him and out of the corner of his eye he could see Malfoy smiling wickedly.

"Your potion has managed to be too weak to even put a toad to sleep, Mr. Potter. You will start over." He waved his wand and Harry's half finished potion was gone. "And you will stay after class." Snape took a step back. "Everyone back to work!" he barked then continued his prowl around the room.

Harry's face was burning and he could feel Ron practically vibrating with anger beside him. Harry just kept his head down and stood up to get more ingredients. He thought his potion actually looked pretty good. Now he didn't know if he would be able to finish it on time.

Harry's stomach churned as he ground the lavender again. His eyes burned, but he knew he would never forgive himself if he cried in the middle of potions. When Hermione manage to slip him some already prepared wormwood to help him quickly thicken the potion, he managed a smile.

By the end of class, his potion wasn't a deep blue, but more brown. But it smelled like what he recognized as a Sleeping Draught. He corked it and quickly set it on Snape's desk, not even looking up.

He quickly turned back to his desk, just in time to see Malfoy, who had already finished, make another swooning motion, making all the Slytherins giggle. Harry hastened back to his seat, keeping his head down. Ron was cleaning up his table where he had spilled some potion while putting it into a vial.

Ron was muttering, "Wish he would yell at them. We make one sound and-"

"Weasley! If you have time to talk, then your station must be spotless. Shall I inspect it?" Snape's voice boomed from his desk.

"N-no, sir!" Ron flushed, scowling as he furiously scrubbed his desk. Harry quickly began to wipe up his own mess. He didn't want Snape to have another reason to yell at him.

Once class was officially over, everyone practically fled from the room. Harry slowly put away his cauldron and suddenly remembered that it was the new one Snape had bought for him just a couple weeks ago. His stomach twisted painfully again and Harry wished he could just run from the room. But when he looked up, everyone else had left and Snape was standing before him, arms crossed.

"Potter, I demand an explanation for your outburst today."

Harry clenched his fists, feeling his nails dig into his palms. "It wasn't an outburst-!"

"You deliberately questioned my judgment."

"Because you were wrong!" Harry looked up, just in time to see Snape's eyes narrow into slits. "Neville's not stupid, you know! He just makes dumb mistakes when you embarrass him in front of everyone. Even if his potion looks better than Crabbe's and Goyle's!" Harry felt himself breathing heavily and his eyes burned worse than ever. Last year he would have never dreamed of talking this way, but now…now he felt a little betrayed.

Snape's eyes were devoid of emotion. Just cold and unyielding power. He whirled around and Harry wondered if he could run away yet. But Snape reached out and took one of the student Sleeping Draught vials from his desk. Sniffing it and holding up to the light, his eyes were unreadable. Stepping back, he placed it before Harry.

"If you find yourself having trouble sleeping, you may drink this."

Harry looked at the vial, shocked at seeing Hermione's name on it. He looked up at Snape, confused.

"Miss Granger's execution is near standard perfect. If she were to take the extra time in class that she spends assisting Mr. Longbottom or others, she may yet improve upon the standard formula."

Harry gaped at him.

Snape only frowned down at him. "The way I treat other students is my concern only. If Mr. Longbottom has a personal complaint, it is his responsibility to bring it to me himself. But speaking publicly out in class, you have disrespected not only myself, but him as well. Do you understand?"

Harry looked down. "But…why did you have to take away my potion?"

Snape leaned down, placing both hands on Harry's desk. "So that you will learn to think before opening your mouth. And to reinforce the lesson, you will see me for detention every night this week. You are dismissed." Snape stood back and headed towards his desk.

Harry took his books and walked towards the door. But before he left, he turned around. "I'm sorry!" he gasped, but Snape didn't even turn around. Harry quickly fled the room.


	18. Chapter 18

Severus watched as Potter carefully removed each ingredient from the student store shelves, dusted and cleaned, then replaced everything neatly. Severus sat at the desk, grading student essays. Potter had already scrubbed out every cauldron the night before and would probably finish this task on time as well. Severus felt his jaw clench, wondering at the reasons for how Potter learned to clean so efficiently.

A knock on the door. "Come."

Severus was surprised to find Lupin entering the classroom. "Ah, Severus, sorry to interrupt, but I have a favor to ask of you?"

Severus looked over to Potter, who had slowed down on his work, obviously listening in. "In my office." He turned and waited for Lupin to follow.

Lupin edged into the office, more than a little tentative. "Ah, I see you have redecorated since our school days. It is quite…interesting." He touched the glass of a pickled giant's toe.

Severus locked his office door and turned around. "Your potion will be ready in 46 hours. You may return then."

Lupin looked a little startled, but he sat down before the desk. "Ah, thank you. But I actually came down to ask for your help."

Severus crossed his arms, not sitting down himself. "What is it?"

"The boggart? I'm sure you were there when Albus mentioned it to me. Well, it's a bit more powerful than I anticipated and would be a bit much for third years. I had the time tonight to try to banish it, but have been having some difficulty. Would you mind assisting me?"

Severus narrowed his eyes. "You are asking me? I'm sure some of the other teachers are available."

Lupin seemed to be resisting the urge to fiddle his fingers. "Yes, but I had hoped…that you would be willing. I know that we were never on…friendly terms during our school days. But we are professionals now in the same workplace. We must learn to be civil and rely on another."

"I think we both know that out of both of us, only I am the one physically capable of being _civil_."

Lupin flushed lightly. "Perhaps, but I am the only one here making an attempt." He stood. "Will you assist me or shall I look elsewhere?"

Severus frowned deeply. "I am in the middle of a detention."

"Perhaps it would a more educational detention if Harry were to come and observe us?"

Severus didn't much like Lupin's tone. But then, he was also a bit tired of watching Potter cleaning for him. "Potter will stay well out of sight from the boggart. He is not adequately prepared for such a creature. I will not have you encouraging him to go throwing himself into poor situations."

Lupin stood, giving a gentle smile. "Of course, Severus."

Severus stepped out into the classroom. Potter was scrambling to pick up a vial and Severus knew very well the boy had probably tried to listen in on the private conversation. "Potter, put those down. We will be accompanying Professor Lupin on an errand."

Potter looked up, eyes lighting with with interest. "Really? Where?"

Lupin answered. "I've had a bit of a boggart problem and Professor Snape is going to assist me."

Potter quickly put the remaining vials away and stood up. "What's a boggart?"

Severus let Lupin answer Potter's inane questions as they walked to the old Defense Against the Dark Arts room. Last year, the third floor had been taken up by a certain three headed dog, so the Defense room had been moved. Now it was back in the usual location, leaving the room Quirrell taught in completely barren. And, as it seemed, susceptible to becoming a boggart's residence.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces." Lupin chatted amicably. "And usually where they won't be disturbed. It is unsurprising to find them in old houses, or in the corners of castles like this one. Sometimes they are not hard to banish alone. But this one I found particularly challenging. Yet with two people, it will confuse the boggart." Lupin first stepped into the empty classroom, Severus and Potter trailing.

Potter looked around, a little uneasily. "This was where Professor Quirrell taught…"

Severus put a hand on Potter's shoulder, pushing him to the furthest corner from the cupboard. "Stay over here so it does not detect you."

Potter started to form that stubborn, pouting expression. "Even if I can't fight it. I could still distract it, yeah?"

Severus scowled, but Lupin stepped forward. "Harry, encountering your worst fear is nothing to take lightly. You might feel brave now, but how would you feel if Lord Voldemort stepped from the cupboard?"

Severus flinched at the name, but Potter only looked slightly pensive. "I guess I understand." He put his hands in his pockets and seemed to be admitting defeat.

Lupin turned to Severus, smiling. "Shall we?"

Severus rolled up his sleeves. "I will bring it out and you will cast the charm, yes?"

Lupin nodded, wand ready. Severus flicked open the cupboard, half convinced he already knew what was going to fall out. Red hair stained with blood, deep green eyes, a corpse…

But it was much smaller than a body and longer…It was a giant snake, with a large head, hissing with long fangs. Severus stared at it, half in surprised at the image, but also the cold feeling sinking into his chest. This snake…this snake was something else. This snake was dangerous.

He raised his wand, ready to defend himself, but the snake lunged with unpredictable speed. Severus felt a sharp pain in his neck, like razor needles. He dodged, but Lupin didn't stand before him in time. The snake slithered past them both and was heading towards Potter.

Potter was pressed against the wall, eyes wide with confusion and fear. But the snake popped, smoke billowing into a cloaked figure. A terrible cold entered the room and one, rotted hand reached out for Potter.

Lupin and Severus lunged towards them. Lupin managed to get between Potter and the boggart, turning it into a silver orb. "RIDDIKULUS!" he shouted with more force than probably necessary. It was effective, the boggart had been weakened, changing into so many different things.

Severus had aimed for Potter, for the boy had almost immediately collapsed. He had not fallen hard, having slid down the wall. But Severus quickly checked his head for injuring. He seemed unharmed, but Severus wondered if he should be brought the the infirmary.

"A…Dementor," Lupin commented, coming to kneel next to Severus. "I had not…expected that."

Severus scowled, feeling Potter's clammy skin. "I had not expected that snake either."

He hated it, but it had been his fault that the boggart had gotten past him. He still felt the phantom pricks of the snake bite on his neck. If he had stood his ground and properly coordinated with Lupin, this would not have happened. Leaning over, he wrapped his arms around Potter, picking him up.

"I will bring him to the infirmary."

"Hm?" Potter murmured, regaining consciousness. He blinked his eyes slowly.

Lupin stepped closer and Severus nearly took a step away by instinct. Either Lupin did not noticed, or pretended not too. He fished a half-eaten chocolate bar from his robes. "Here, Harry. Can you eat this?"

Potter looked wearily from the chocolate to Severus. "I know who it is now."

"What?" Severus asked.

"When the Dementors get close, I can hear my mum." Potter pressed his cheek into Severus' robes. "I can hear her screaming as she dies."

Lupin flinched and Severus felt his heat beating heavily in his chest. Lupin slowly lowered the chocolate, looking up to Severus. "Perhaps we should bring him to the infirmary now."

Potter suddenly startled. "No…no, I don't want to go to the infirmary." He shifted weakly, trying to crawl out of Severus' arms. Severus slowly lowered him, but even on the ground he looked unstable. One fist clutched the sleeve of Severus' robe. "I'll take the chocolate, okay?"

Lupin gave it to him, but even he was unconvinced. Severus spoke. "You have just collapsed, Potter. You need to see Madam Pomfrey."

Potter shook his head, eating the chocolate slowly. "No, I'm fine. I'm fine." He turned to Severus, face pale and green eyes shining. "Can I go back to detention now?

Lupin answered. "Maybe he should return to his dorm? I'm sure his detention has been served."

Severus didn't like Lupin stepping in, but Potter's eyes lit up with the prospect. "I…suppose that is reasonable. But I will see you again tomorrow night, Potter."

Potter nodded eagerly. "Yes, sir."

Lupin put a hand on Potter's shoulder. "I'll take him back, Severus. I know it's out of your way."

Severus pressed his lips together, but he nodded. "Yes, of course."

Lupin smiled graciously and pushed Potter to the hall, murmuring gently under his breath. "I have an extra bar of chocolate, if you would like to keep it…"

Severus felt something twisting unpleasantly in his gut.


	19. Chapter 19

Harry stepped into the Owlery, searching in the rafters for a familiar white feathers. Hedwig spotted him first, drifting down from a higher place to land gently on a perch before him. Harry took the moment to examine her feathers, smiling at the health and luster they had acquired since summer.

He ignored Ron and Hermione's bickering behind him.

"Your lucky you didn't get in more trouble!" Hermione's voice was starting to get a little shrill.

Ron snorted. "Would have been worth it. Just because you didn't understand what he said doesn't mean he should have said it. The bastard."

"It's just a word, Ron."

"He deserved to have his nose broken!"

Harry turned to see Hermione trying to stifle an amused smile. Probably because Ron looked like the one with the broken nose. His eye had almost swollen shut and he was still bleeding. They had met Draco Malfoy after Quidditch practice to hear him gloating about getting the Slytherin team all new Nimbus 2001. Harry didn't much care about that. Most of the Slytherin team could barely keep upright on a broom, no matter the quality of the broom.

Somehow it had gotten carried away when Malfoy had called Hermione a 'mudblood'. Harry wasn't too sure what that meant, but it was apparently very rude. Half of the Gryffindor team flew into a rage, including Ron who managed one good punch on Malfoy's nose before being pummeled by some of the larger Slytherins.

Hermione sighed. "Come on, sit down. I'll see what I can do about that."

Ron looked a little wary. "Are you sure you can fix it?"

"I actually wrote my Charms essay from this summer on healing charms. Now stay still! You wiggle more than your rat."

Harry let Hedwig hop onto his shoulder as he came to sit by Hermione and Ron by one of the open windows. Hedwig preened the hair around his ears affectionately.

"He doesn't wiggle much anymore. Poor Scabbers just keeps moping around and losing fur. I think I need to try a new rat tonic…"

Hermione glanced at Harry while Ron bent his head to wipe the blood from his chin. They were both pretty convinced that Scabbers was just at the end of his life, but Ron didn't seem willing to contemplate it.

"Perhaps you should consider saving up for an owl? They can be so useful," Hermione commented, trying to get a better look at Ron's nose.

Ron looked at Hedwig dubiously. "I guess…but they are so expensive. Is she hard to take care of?" he asked Harry.

Harry let Hedwig walk down his arm to poke around the stone floor where they were sitting. "Not really. She catches her own food most of the time."

Hermione was now turning Ron's chin from side to side, eyes critical. "I remember her looking a little off earlier this year. Did she get sick this summer?"

Harry forced himself to relax. He felt Hedwig carefully poking at his fingers and her stroked her neck feathers softly. "Yeah, she lost a few feathers. But she's fine now."

Hermione paused. "Did Professor Snape help her?"

Harry had the sudden memory of Snape entering the bedroom, Hedwig perched on his shoulder before she hopped down to the headboard. He had given her a disgruntled look, but Harry hadn't thought much of it at the time. "Um, yeah, I think so."

Hermione's mouth quirked, like she was hiding a smile. Ron grunted, "I don't get him. Sometimes he seems okay and then he goes off and gives you a week's worth of detentions."

Hermione stepped in. "Well, Harry was a little out of line. Not that I'm not grateful that you spoke up for me," she said quickly. "But Professor McGonagall probably would have reacted the same."

Ron flinched as Hermione poked his nose with her finger. "Hmm, maybe. Still seems like a prick. Don't understand why you wanted to stay with him this summer."

Harry felt a little nervous at the conversation. So he stood, helping Hedwig to one of the perches near a water bowl. "I just wanted to…that's all."

"But…what did you even do there? Hang out in his torture chamber?"

"He doesn't have a torture chamber. But he does have a private potions lab that he wouldn't let me in."

"Yeah, because he probably tortures people there."

"Ron," Hermione admonished. She looked up to Harry, giving a sly smile. "Don't worry, Harry. I think I get it."

"You do?" Ron exclaimed. "But Snape's so-" Hermione interrupted Ron by moving his chin towards her, pointing her wand at him carefully. He looked at it cross eyed. "You do know what you are doing, right?"

Hermione frowned. "Quiet. _Episkey!_"

There was a horrid cracking sound and Ron squealed in pain, more blood gushing from his nose. Hedwig squawked as Hermione tried desperately to move Ron's hands so she could see his face.

"Don't know what you are going on about. It looks perfect!"

"Perfect?! I think you broke it again!"

They bickered and Harry turned to Hedwig, touching her wings softly. Gently, he lifted them to find the feathers had grown enough to entire cover the lost ones. It would still be a couple months before she had the volume of plumage she had before. But she certainly looked content and healthy.

Harry didn't quite know why he had decided to stay at Snape's house instead of the Weasley's. It wasn't like he had a lot of fun there. No de-gnoming the garden or playing Quidditch in the yard. Maybe it was because Snape's house was quieter, calmer. Maybe it was because Snape took him from the Dursley's in the first place.

Maybe it was because whenever Harry woke up in the middle of the night, Snape was usually up too.


	20. Chapter 20

Severus had never been much a fan for Quidditch. Granted, he took some pride in the Slytherin team, being the head of house. But after some of the catastrophic events of last year, Severus decided he just wasn't that into watching children play a blood sport.

It also didn't help that Dumbledore decided to attend the day's event and seated himself right next to Severus.

"Ah, so young Draco Malfoy has made the team. Have you seen him fly, Severus?"

Severus hunched down in his seat. "No."

"Well, maybe he hasn't done so competitively, but he does look like a natural. He may be a difficult opponent for our Harry."

Severus hated the way he said 'our Harry'. But he just ignored the old man, looked up into the sky as the children and balls flew around in a formation that Severus had only ever deduced as haphazard. He remembered last year, the cursed broom, and felt his fingers twitch every time Potter's broom made a sudden turn or drop. By the end of the first goal, Severus felt a little of a nervous wreck. Potter seemed to be doing an outrageous amount of acrobatics.

"Hm? Unusual…" Dumbledore murmured. "That bludger seems to have a mind of its own today."

Severus suddenly noticed that Potter wasn't just showing off the speed and flexibility of his broom, but one of the bludgers had, indeed, seemed to be exclusively targeting him. To such a degree that the Gryffindor beaters were forced to linger nearby and deflect it away.

The Gryffindor captain was shouting something and the entire team seemed to be in a bit of confusion as they attempted to figure out how to handle the problem. But Potter was already speeding away, outrunning the bludger and taking steep dives in the process.

Dumbledore's hand on his arm made him realize that he was half out of his seat. "Perhaps the game should be halted. Obviously there has been some tampering with the equipment," Severus grumbled.

Dumbledore nodded. "Perhaps, but that is up to the captains. And, with Gryffindor in the lead, it seems unlikely that the captain will stop the match."

Severus decided that Oliver Wood was in need of extra work during his next Potions lesson.

The minutes seemed to drag on as Potter continued his acrobatics and avoiding the bludger. It was impossible to tell if he was even capable of searching for the snitch. However, Malfoy, seemed equally ineffective, too distracted by taunting Potter from afar.

Then a sudden cold settled over the stadium. Dumbledore immediately stood and Severus peered over the side of the bleachers to find a massive wave of Dementors walking onto the field. The warm fall day suddenly turned to ice and Severus felt his hands shaking, and neck aching with razor pin-pricks. Dumbledore was already moving from his seat, blue eyes hard with something like anger.

Severus, however, looked back to the field, trying to spot where Potter had ended up. _Just fly away_, he thought in vain. _Get out of there!_

But Potter was in the middle of the field, still and looking down at the Dementors. He drifted slightly in the wind, but didn't seem to be controlling his broom anymore.

Then, like a crack of lightening, the bludger hit him.

"_Expecto Patronum!" _Dumbledore's voice boomed and all around the field a white light spread, quickly scattering the Dementors. Then he twirled it wand upwards and neatly slowed Potter's fall. Severus quickly turned and ran form the bleachers, shoving aside students and other teachers to get to the already crowded field.

The Dementors were gone, but Severus could still feel the cold in his chest as he sprinted to Dumbledore, who had just caught Potter's body. Practically throwing aside his teammates, Severus knelt beside the headmaster to examine him.

"Broken arm," Dumbledore murmured. "Possibly a couple of ribs." He stood, summoning a stretcher. "Help me lay him on this."

He might have been talking to the Gryffindor captain, who hovered nearby, but Severus instantly leaned down and scooped Potter onto the stretcher.

Potter moaned and opened his eyes. "Dad?" His voice was clouded. He blinked, then looked over to see Dumbledore and then the captain. Holding up his good hand, he opened his fist to reveal a shining golden snitch.

The Gryffindor captain looked ready to cry as he took the prize. "Potter, you are one crazy seeker. How did you even-?" But Potter was already falling back into unconsciousness. Besides the rest of the team spotted it as well, quickly taking Wood into the crowd to show off their victory.

Dumbledore took the moment to whisk Potter away, back towards the school. McGonagall remained behind, trying to calm the sudden rush of emotions from the student body.

Madam Pomfrey was ready in the hospital wing. "What happened, Albus? Was his broom cursed again?"

Dumbledore sighed and Severus helped to place Potter on the waiting hospital bed. "A cursed bludger, perhaps."

Severus carefully maneuvered Potter's arm to lie straight beside him. Poppy was already waving her wand over him, frowning deeply. "Dislocated shoulder…shattered humerus…" She looked up at Severus. "No broken ribs, but he'll have some bruising. He has no concussion. Why is he unconscious?"

Dumbledore folded his arms, his face dark with an anger Severus had not witnessed in years. "Dementors."

Poppy gasped. "On the field? Then it is a wonder half the school hasn't shown up!"

Potter stirred, drawing back her attention. Dumbledore turned to Severus, speaking low. "I'll have to take my leave now. It seems I have some urgent appointments with some of the kind folk at the Ministry."

There was that glimmer in his eye that Severus was very wary of. "Of course, Headmaster. I'll see to Potter."

Dumbledore looked down at Potter, who was wincing as Poppy manipulated his arm into a better position. His expression softened, momentarily. "See that you do, Severus."

Poppy didn't even look up as Dumbledore left. "Alright, Mr. Potter, this is probably going to pinch a bit, but it will be over soon."

Potter paled as she raised her wand to his injured arm. Suddenly, he reached out with his good arm, grabbing the edge of Severus's robe on the other side of the bed. "Okay, I'm ready."

Severus could see Poppy attempting to stifle a smirk. But she raised her wand and there was a series of disturbing cracking noises. Then she was quickly putting bandages around Potter's arm and smiling gently. "How are you feeling, dear?"

Potter had somehow become even more pale than when the Dementors first walked on the field. He was breathing shallowly, but had not made a sound despite the painful sounding procedure. His hand shook where it still held Severus' robe. "I'm fine," he said a little too fast.

Poppy looked up at Severus. "The bones are healed, but he will still be quite tender for the next 24 hours. I would suggest that he stay here overnight…"

"No, I'll be careful, I promise-" Potter began to interrupt, but Severus stilled him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Potter can stay in my quarters for the night, where he will be monitored closely."

Poppy smiled, a little too eagerly. "Ah, I would not trust another, Severus. And I'm sure you are already stocked with some healing balm and sleeping draught."

"Of course."

"What do you think of that agreement, Mr. Potter?"

As if suddenly realizing that he was still holding on to Severus' robe, he dropped his grip quickly. "I…uh," he wouldn't look up. "Can I go back to the dorm…?"

Poppy frowned. "I'd much rather you go with Professor Snape or stay here. Your arm is just too delicate to be left to your own devices." She paused. "Unless there is another reason you would like to give?" Potter kept his head down and she pursed her lips. Turning back to Severus. "Take him through the floo, yes? I don't want him going down all those stairs just now."

She attempted to lean over and help Potter to his feet, but he waved her off. He held his recently healed arm close to his side as he stood. He had yet to regain the color in his face, but he managed to stand without swaying. He looked at Severus. "I can manage the floo by myself, okay?"

Severus narrowed his eyes. "In order to gain access to my quarters, you will need to be accompanying me." He put a hand on Potter's good shoulder, steering him to the fireplace. He felt the boy twitch underneath his grip, but he did not say anything more.

When they entered his private quarters. Potter immediately headed towards the spare room. "I'll just go lie down for a bit, okay?"

Severus stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Do you require a sleeping draught?"

Potter didn't look at him, staring at the floor, lips white and tight. What was he hiding? Was he in more pain than he let on? Potter shook his head. "No, I'm fine. You don't need to trouble yourself."

Severus was about to comment that it really wasn't a bother to summon a small vial, but Potter had already escaped his grasp and shut the door behind him.


	21. Chapter 21

Harry leaned against the door of the spare bedroom, breathing heavily. His entire body ached, his arm giving off a sharp pain with every step. But mostly he felt like an idiot.

He had fainted again. When he noticed the Dementors coming, it had taken everything just to not crash his broom. But then the bludger hit him…

He had heard his dad this time, screaming with his mother, begging to spare them, trying to fight off Voldemort. His voice had been deep and desperate. But it had not wavered as he argued with Voldemort.

He hated hearing his parents, in their final moment. But it was also the only time he has ever heard their voices. Some small part of him almost wanted to seek out a Dementor, just to hear them again. It was a part that scared him.

Harry sat down gingerly on the bed, feeling sad and confused and embarrassed. Snape probably pitied him, saw him as some desperate lost child or something. It was probably the reason why Snape put up with him at all. He burrowed himself under the covers, not even caring to remove his glasses or shoes. He was just too tired…

…Harry woke sometime in the night. There was sound, strange. Like a voice that was very far away, or buried in something…He couldn't quite make out what it was saying, but it made his skin crawl.

There was also a weight on his chest, painful against his bruised ribs.

"Harry Potter is still here? Harry Potter is not sent away yet?"

Harry opened his eyes and sat up quickly, dislodging a small body from his chest. "Dobby!" He almost shouted. "What are you doing here?" he hissed, looking to the shut door. His vision was blurry and he groped for his glasses, which were folded neatly on the nightstand.

Dobby came into focus, still wearing that awful sack, which he rung between his fingers. "Dobby had to! Dobby has to protect Harry Potter!"

Harry blinked. "What? What are you talking about?"

"Harry Potter still went to school, despite Dobby's warnings, despite Dobby's good intentions-"

"Your _good_ intentions? Do you know what the Dursleys-" Harry stopped himself, feeling something vile rise into his throat. Dobby didn't seem to notice, however.

"If Harry Potter was so grievously injured, he would have to leave Hogwarts!"

"Wait, you cursed the bludger? It nearly killed me!"

Dobby let out a moan and began to pound his head against the bed stand. Harry reached out, tugging him away. It made his arm twinge, but he was too scared of Snape bursting into the room. "But Harry Potter is in _danger!_"

"Yeah, obviously from you!" Harry managed to get a hold of both his wrists. "What other danger is there?"

Dobby shook his head, almost violently. "Dobby cannot say. Dobby cannot-" He was struggling to free himself from Harry's grasp when he suddenly looked up, and with a pop, completely disappeared.

Harry stared at the empty air dumbly, but there was a knock on his door. Then Snape entered, looking at him critically. "You are awake?" he asked, waving a wand and lighting the room with a dim light.

Harry slowly lowered his arms. "Yes." Snape's eyes were critical though, looking over him slowly.

"Have you remained here all evening?"

"Yes…?"

"And have you heard or seen anything?"

Harry decided that Snape probably wouldn't believe Dobby. Harry wasn't all to sure what he was about himself. He shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

Snape only nodded and turned from him, sweeping back into the hallway. Harry quickly stood to follow, but the voice returned again. He had thought he had been dreaming, but it seemed to resound around in the very walls of the dungeon.

…_must find…_

…_must…_

…_kill…_

…_KILL…_

Harry's knees hit the floor hard next to the bed. The voice echoed and faded away. Snape appeared at his side, rough hand helping him to stand. "Harry? What is it?"

"What…what was that?"

"What?"

"That…" Harry took in a big gulp of air. "That voice…?"

"Voice? Did you hear something?"

Harry felt a wave of dizziness and clung to the front of Snape's robes. "The voice. Didn't you hear it?"

Snape was looking at him, eyes narrowed with confusion. Then Harry realized that Snape hadn't heard it. But it hadn't been a dream, right? He had really heard it, right?

"Potter," Snape's voice was a forced calm. "What did the voice say?"

Harry felt his insides clenching and he took a step back. Was Dobby just a dream too? Was this all some terrible Dementor inspired nightmare? He needed to go to sleep. That seemed right. "Nothing. Nothing, I'm tired."

"What do you mean, Potter?"

Harry quickly shook his head. "Dream, nightmare or something. I'm tired."

Snape leaned down, carefully taking Harry's injured arm. It ached unpleasantly. "Do you need anything? Do you need to tell me anything?"

"No," Harry backed away, crawling into the bed. "No, I'm just tired."


	22. Chapter 22

The night Harry Potter had stayed in Severus' residence, a boy had been attacked. Severus had been woken by the headmaster informing that the school was on a lock-down for the remainder of the night. Morning classes would be canceled and afternoon classes would only resume after a thorough search of the school.

Severus had found himself entering Potter's room, with an almost desperate feeling to make sure the boy was still there. But he was, despite the strange encounter. Potter had been confused, then frightened, then…Severus wasn't sure. But Potter was safe, so he eventually left him to join the other teachers in securing the school.

It was in the early morning that Severus found himself on the first floor next to a girl's bathroom that seemed to have flooded. Across the watery floor, written on the stone wall, were the words: _The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, Beware_. The paint was a deep red, shining and thick.

Dumbledore waved his wand, trying to guide the water back towards the bathroom. "He was found here, pressed against the wall."

"Who?"

"Colin Creevy, a first year Gryffindor." McGonagall answered, standing next to Filch who attempted to scrub off the writing. It persevered under his swearing.

"Where is he now?" Severus asked.

"The infirmary," McGonagall sighed. "By some blessing he was only petrified. Pomona says she has a new growth of mandrakes that will be ready in a few months. Then he can be brought back to normal."

Severus looked to Dumbledore. "Was there anything else?"

As much as Dumbledore tried to banish the water, more only leaked from the bathroom. He seemed reticent to enter it. "The Dementors detected no one on the school grounds."

And Severus knew that each of them had been up half the night to find the castle to be otherwise undisturbed. Except, of course, Severus had experienced a disturbing moment with Potter.

_The voice. Didn't you hear it?_

Had it been some residual nightmare for the boy? Had he actually heard something? The boy had been somewhat tight lipped to him the night before as well.

Severus pushed aside the thoughts. "What was Creevy doing in this part of the castle anyway?"

McGonagall shrugged, rubbing one shoulder. "I could not guess. He had a camera that he always carries with him. Perhaps he was hoping to take a photo of something?"

"Was the boy stupid enough to go off wandering alone at night, hoping to take a picture of Sirius Black?" Severus felt the words bite.

McGonagall thinned her lips. "We have no proof of this having anything to do with Sirius Black. There was no way anyone could enter and leave the school without some detection by the Dementors."

Severus waved to the writing. "But who else is qualified to open the Chamber?"

"Sirius Black was a Gryffindor. The 'heir' must be of Salazar's blood."

Severus waved his hand, dismissing her. "The rest of his family was Slytherin. He was the Dark Lord's right hand man. Just because some shoddy piece of enchanted fabric suggested otherwise is not convincing to me."

"By those attributes, you would also fit the definition of the heir. _And_ you are a true Slytherin."

"Are you accusing me of opening the Chamber of Secrets?"

Dumbledore stepped between then and Severus realized that he and McGonagall had begun to square themselves up, ready to battle. Dumbledore put a hand on Severus' wrist, wand half raised. "We are not accusing anyone here of anything. Minerva is only suggesting that the answers here are not so clear." He looked to her, gaze hardening. "I'm sure everyone is just a little tired from the search tonight. Minerva, why don't you go return to the Gryffindor dorms and inform everyone that there was an incident."

She practically snarled, but she turned around and stomped away, feet splashing in the water that refused to disperse. Severus turned to Dumbledore. "Is it wise to inform the students?"

Dumbledore gave another half-hearted wave of his wand. "Leaving out certain details, of course. But, if we are unable to clear this scene, then it will be no time before the entire school goes into an upheaval over the Chamber of secrets." He gave a weak smile. "Then, I suppose, we will have much to answer for."

"You do think Sirius Black has committed this crime, correct?"

"He is certainly a likely possibility. But Severus…the petrification of Colin Creevy was bizarre, but powerful. And something I've never seen before."

"Sirius Black murdered a street of people with a single spell."

"And yet he chose to spare Colin? Even though he was carrying a camera and likely attempted to take a photo of him?"

Severus snorted. "Black knows he is wanted. There is nothing that boy could have taken that would incriminate him more."

"You did not answer my first question."

"You expect me to understand the mind of a mad man?"

Dumbledore looked to him, blue eyes clear and piercing. "Yes, I do, Severus. Out of everyone in this school, I know you understand more the thought processes of the most despicable and insane of wizards."

Severus swallowed thickly. "You expect me to catch him?"

"Of course not. The entire wizarding world has been attempting to catch him for the past six months and have been unsuccessful. What I expect is your insight and cooperation in how to protect Harry Potter."

_What did the voice say?_

_Nothing. Nothing…_

Severus held back a snarl. "What do you think I've been doing for the past six months. Now excuse me, I have a house to attend to and a certain golden boy who is probably trying to figure out how to unlock himself from my quarters."


	23. Chapter 23

Harry hadn't known Colin Creevy well. He had just been one of those kids that when they first met Harry expected golden light to shine from his ears or something. But he had been Gryffindor and he had been, well, a kid. Why would Sirius Black attack someone like Colin? Sure, the teachers didn't say it was Sirius Black, but it was obvious, wasn't it? And what was the Chamber of Secrets anyway?

Also, Harry could tell that the teachers had been put on some sort of high alert around him. McGonagall asked him five times in one day what he had been up to. Even though he hadn't done more than go to her class and eat lunch in the Great Hall.

Snape was edgy around him too, as if he suspected Harry of knowing something or sneaking out. But Harry tried everything to avoid him. Keeping his head down during Potions and constantly turning and running if he ever met him in the hallway. Harry just didn't know what to say or do.

And he kept hearing that voice. Never as loud or clearly as the night Colin was attacked.

But it was enough to know that Ron and Hermione didn't hear it. Harry wondered if he had cracked or something. At least he wasn't the only student who looked a little scared out of their wits. It seemed that a group of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws had teamed up to try and form some sort of dueling club. Harry doubted the teachers would allow it. Not when Lupin was forced to mention constantly in class that he had not condoned any sort of club, nor would be sponsor one.

But it gave Harry an idea.

"Come in."

Harry opened the office door slowly. The room was rather small, but filled with boxes and a giant tank with some sort of gremlin inside it.

Lupin was at his desk, practically drowning in student essays. "Ah, Harry. Anything I can do for you?" He smiled warmly, but Harry couldn't help but notice that the lines on his face were deeper and the dark circles under his eyes more prominent. He had been ill last month and apparently hadn't quite fought it off.

"Yeah…" Harry looked at the tank, where the strange creature was gazing at him from the glass.

"A grindylow. Nasty creature, if you ever find one in the wild. But also most fascinating to study. Now, come sit down. Is there something on your mind?"

Harry eased himself into the chair across the desk. For some reason, he noticed that Lupin was a lot less intimidating that Snape. Which is probably why he was here and not down in the dungeons. Lupin just…seemed warmer. "Yeah, I was wondering…you stopped a Dementor on the train to Hogwarts, right?"

Lupin frowned. "Yes, I did. Though, Harry, you must know that I don't have the ability to banish them entirely. I cannot-"

"But you can teach me, right?" Harry blurted.

Lupin sighed. "Harry, I'm not going to support a dueling club-"

"I'm not talking about that," Harry said quickly. "I just want…to know how to stop a Dementor. I mean, ever since Colin…well, for a couple weeks now they've been getting closer because of security, right? I'm pretty likely to run into one again. So…it would be best to know how to defend myself, right?"

Lupin stared at him for a long while and Harry was sure he would say no. "It's not beginners magic, Harry. It would be very difficult for you to learn. It's very difficult for most wizards, even after graduating from school."

"But, even knowing a little is better than nothing, right?"

Lupin leaned forward. "Harry, the Dementors are here to protect the school. They might have a terrible effect, but they aren't trying to hurt you-"

"But Sirius Black already broke into the school, right? So what's the point of them?" Harry realized he was almost shouting and looked down. "I just don't want to deal with them anymore and I'm tired of…of fainting around them," he muttered.

"Harry…you don't always have to be strong."

Harry hunched his shoulders. Maybe Lupin didn't understand. It wasn't that he thought he had to defeat anything that bothered him. It was that…Harry was tired of feeling afraid. And the Dementors were just about the worst fear he had ever experienced.

He was ready to stand up and leave, but Lupin sighed and sat back in his chair. "I'll think about how to give you lessons in defending yourself against Dementors. But I'll need time, at least until next term to figure out the logistics." He gave a weak smile. "After all, I can't have you practice on a real Dementor, yes?"

Harry nodded. At least he wouldn't have anymore Quidditch games until after the Christmas holiday. He was just about to ask exactly what kind of magic repels a Dementor when there was a knock on the door.

Lupin, almost eagerly, looked up. "Come in?"

Snape entered, then halting, obviously surprised to see Harry there. But he turned to Lupin, holding out a steaming goblet. "Your potion," he said simply.

Lupin took the goblet, wrinkling his nose at the fumes. "Ah, how kind of you to bring it to me, Severus. Thank you."

Harry looked at it curiously. "What's that for?"

Lupin took a large gulp, wincing. "Oh, just been feeling under the weather."

Snape spoke before Harry could question any more. "Why haven't you gone down to the feast yet, Potter?"

Harry suddenly remembered. "Oh, yeah. It's Halloween." He could barely remember the feast from last Halloween. He mostly remembered a twelve foot troll.

Snape narrowed his eyes and Harry quickly stood up. "Well, guess I'll talk to you later, Professor Lupin." He left quickly, hoping Snape wouldn't ask why he was there.


	24. Chapter 24

Severus watched Potter flee from the room, then he turned to Lupin. "Why was he here?" he asked bluntly.

Lupin drained his goblet then stood and stepped towards the grindylow tank. "Severus, while I have been informed that Harry stayed at your residence this summer, I am still unaware of the circumstances." He opened up a package to reveal raw chicken parts. Carefully separating them, he dropped them into the tank, much to the excitement of the grindylow. "Do you mind enlightening me?"

"It is none of your business."

Lupin nodded slowly. "Probably." The grindylow was shredding the chicken and some pops of breaking bones could be heard. "Alright, then will you tell me why Harry stayed overnight in your residence after the last Quidditch game."

Severus didn't trust his facade of a soothing demeanor. "He required supervision."

Lupin looked over his shoulder. "And it was your responsibility to give it?"

"Have you some complaint, Lupin? Or are you only prying?"

Severus could tell he was trying to hide a smirk. "Prying, undoubtedly." He rinsed his hands on in a nearby basin before banishing the water. He turned to Severus, crossing his arms. "Harry wishes to learn the Patronus Charm."

Severus was thrown. "Patronus?"

"Yes, he wants to know how to fight off Dementors."

"The boy is twelve!"

Lupin rubbed his forehead. "I am very aware. It is unthinkable that he would be able to cast one this young. But that is not the point, can't you see? Harry's _afraid_." He twitched, as if he wanted to pace the room, but resisted. "Of course, I have a fairly good idea of what he is a afraid of. Albus informed me that he battled an agent of Voldemort last year. And now with Sirius Black on the loose…well, he has every right to be feeling insecure."

Severus was very aware that Potter was more emotionally unstable than he let on. He was also aware that the events from the summer had probably only increased them exponentially. "Have you kept me here just to ramble at me, Lupin?" He also was deeply disturbed that this werewolf had so quickly caught on.

Lupin deflated slightly. "Harry trusts you. But you must do more than accept that." He ran a hand through his hair. "I will teach him the Patronus Charm. For even if he is unsuccessful, I hope that it will offer him some comfort." He stepped around Severus, to the door, but he turned at the last moment. "Will you think on that?"

He didn't wait for an answer, but opened the door and quietly exited.

Severus hated him. Lupin, for his shabby robes, graying hair, and premature wrinkles, was so much more than a mild mannered wizard. He used his appearance to lure people in, until, of course, they found the untamed werewolf inside.

How dare he lecture Severus on a boy he had barely known for three months? Severus has been interacting with Potter for over a year. Granted, he often felt like he had been dealing with him for at least eight years. Lupin hadn't been the one to find Potter in that deplorable muggle dwelling. Lupin hadn't been the one to find him wandering the halls at night. Lupin hadn't been the one to…

…_save him…_

…_save my son…_

…_what I've tried to be in a hundred lifetimes_…

Severus felt himself come sharply back to reality, as if he was lost in some memory of a dream. He looked around the empty office, noting the clock on the wall said the Halloween feast was nearly done. He couldn't even contemplate the idea of eating food or stepping into that crowded hall, bursting with light and colors.

Severus felt himself walking down the empty halls in something like a fog. Lupin's words had apparently touch on a rather tender nerve and he resented it deeply. He began to walk towards the dungeons, set on relieving the frustration via fourth year potions essays.

"Severus!" Flitwick was rushing down the hall towards him, panting heavily. "Severus! Another attack!"

Severus stopped. "An attack? Who? Where?" He was also taking strides towards where Flitwick had come from.

"The portrait that guards the Gryffindor dormitory."

Severus hesitated. "A portrait?"

"Yes, completely slashed. Minerva and Pomona have been instructed to keep everyone in the Great Hall. Dumbledore wants us both to track down where she went."

"The portrait?"

Flitwick was almost outstripping him. "Yes! She, naturally fled once she was attacked. But I do know of a portrait that frequently visits with her. Come this way!"

Severus was more than a little confused by the turn of events. A first year is petrified, blood writing on the wall, and then a portrait is slashed? What was Black's angle here?

Flitwick opened a small study, not too far from the Great Hall, and they were immediately assaulted by loud sobbing.

"Horrible! Just-Just horrible! I've never…never been so brutally-" The woman's words were cut off by gross sobbing.

Severus looked up to a modest portrait of a witch. Underneath was a plaque designating her as Violet Tillyman. But she was not alone. Her small frame was cluttered by an over-sized women, whose paint had been smudged and pieces of her were stripped or threatening to tear away. Violet had her arms around her, carefully trying to smooth out her wrinkled edges.

"Shh, it's okay. You'll be fixed just right. Don't worry. You're safe now." Violent soothed before looking up to notice the two professors. "About time! I demand an explanation for this crime!"

The Fat Lady only sobbed harder into her shoulder, smudging bright pink paint onto Violet's dark robes. Flitwick stepped forward. "We were hoping that you could enlighten us, my Lady. I'm afraid we've only just discovered your portrait."

The Fat Lady suddenly looked up, eyes fierce despite her deplorable state. "Only just! I've been brutally assaulted! Only doing my duty, I was! Never have I seen such disrespect-" she stopped, eyes narrowing. "Of course, maybe I have," she sneered before succumbing into hysterical crying again.

Flitwick glanced at Severus, but both of them were at a loss. Severus spoke loudly over her cries. "Who attacked you."

She waved an arm, revealing strips tearing away. "Isn't it obvious! He demanded I let his have entrance without a password. Well, I don't care how charming you might have been decades ago. I have standards!"

"Who was it?" Severus clenched his teeth.

"Sirius Black, of course!"

* * *

A/N: Just a quick thank you to the few followers who keep coming back to such sporadic updates. As a published author, I write every day, constantly spitting out short stories and novellas and (maybe one day, if I'm so lucky) a novel. Unfortunately it means that fun projects like this get put on the bottom of the pile. I also try to do my best to edit, but I know many mistakes slip through. So thank you to everyone still reading!I appreciate every review!

And if you'd like to witness my original work, please check out Diana Jean on Goodreads, Less than Three Press, Dreamspinner Press, Crimson Romance, and my author blog (link in my profile).


	25. Chapter 25

Harry didn't even try to sleep. Granted, very few other students at Hogwarts were trying to sleep either. They were all holed up in the Great Hall with their purple sleeping bags like it was some magical summer camp. Everyone started by whispering across the room to their friends, much to the displeasure of the teachers walking around them. But after a couple hours it seemed to die down. Even Ron, next to Harry, was snoring loudly.

Harry curled up in his sleeping bag, knowing it was useless to even try to sleep. Sirius Black had attacked the Fat Lady, practically shredded her trying to get into the dormitory. Luckily no one had been there, with everyone at the Halloween feast.

The false ceiling glowed with stars, though the moon had set hours ago. Harry closed his eyes, pretending to sleep, but someone walked by him. It was Snape, he knew. He had been checking on Harry almost every half hour. Though Harry wasn't sure what the man was looking for. It's not like Harry could leave the Hall without someone noticing.

"Severus?" Professor McGonagall spoke in a soft voice.

"I believe he is asleep."

"Yes, but…I want to apologize. When Colin was attacked I was…I was wrong to snap at you like that."

Snape was quiet for a moment. "It is of no importance," he whispered.

"But I see now that it was important. Even thinking for a second that Sirius Black couldn't break into the school…I was putting Harry at risk…Ah, Pomona, how was the west wing?"

"Secured. Dumbledore and Hagrid are still searching the grounds, but once they return we will have another meeting," Professor Sprout whispered.

"Ah, I see."

"Minvera…Severus…I'm afraid I just don't understand all this. What could Sirius Black hope to gain from attacking the school? He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is long gone."

"A personal vendetta, undoubtedly," Professor McGonagall answered. "Sirius Black deceived us all, but the moment he revealed himself, You-Know-Who fell." She hesitated. "You do remember how he and James Potter were such close friends?"

"It…it was so long ago…"

"They were the best of friends. Closer than brothers, I used to think. Also got into more trouble than the Weasley twins…" There was an awkward silence and Harry could hear his heart beating in his ears. McGonagall continued. "He was the best man at James Potter and Lily Evan's wedding, I believe. But they were marked by You-Know-Who, had to go into hiding. Dumbledore himself offered to be their Secret Keeper, but Potter insisted on Black…"

"Oh my," Professor Sprout gasped. "I had always wondered how they were discovered."

"Keep your voice low," Snape muttered and Harry remembered that he was even there.

"He betrayed them, and Peter Pettigrew, poor stupid boy, he went off to catch Black himself."

"I had heard that they only found a finger."

"Well, the entire block was destroyed. Powerful dark magic…but Black must see Harry as the reason for his downfall. He probably would have been You-Know-Who's right hand man if Harry hadn't defeated him."

Heavy footsteps suddenly were heard outside the wall. "That would be Hagrid. Severus, you are staying here, correct?"

"Yes."

The women shuffled away, but Harry could still feel Snape hovering over him. It was taking all of Harry's strength not to tremble. With anger or fear, he wasn't sure, but he kind of wanted to blow something up. Sirius Black had been friends with his father? Had betrayed him? Sirius Black was the reason that Harry hear his mother pleading for their lives? Had heard his father crying out against Voldemort? He had been their best friend. He had been trusted. He had ruined Harry's life.

He hadn't been interested in 'finding' Sirius Black for himself, like so many adults assumed he was. But now Harry just didn't want to find him. He wanted revenge-

"Potter?" Snape's voice was soft, right next to him. He was kneeling next to Harry, putting a strong hand on his shoulder. "Potter, you are dreaming. Wake up."

Harry realized that he had been trembling, eyes squeezed shut. He opened them to the dark room and Ron's snoring profile. He turned over, seeing Snape looking at him. He hadn't been dreaming, but he kind of wished he had.

Snape reached into his robes, pulling out a small vial. "There is only a few more hours in the night, so this will only help you relax."

Harry reached out and took it quickly before Snape could see how his hands trembled. "Th-thanks." His voice felt trapped somewhere in his throat. It was too dim to really see Snape's expression. "Uh, will we have to sleep here tomorrow night?"

"Unlikely. Drink, then try to sleep."

Harry drank the potion. It filled him with a soothing warmth in his stomach, like he was holding some electric heating pad. But he did not sleep.


	26. Chapter 26

"Severus, I need a word," Minerva stepped into the staffroom, waving a piece of parchment. She seated herself across from him at the table without his acknowledgment. He set down the newspaper he was attempting to read. "I've just received the list of Gryffindor students who will be staying over the holidays. And, if you could imagine, it is near a record low this year."

Severus had already heard of this trend. While most of Hogwarts was vacating the school, his own Slytherin numbers hadn't changed. Severus wondered if his Slytherins felt a sense of…security. Despite teachers being discrete about the legend of the Chamber of Secrets, the entire school obviously figured out the gist of it. The Heir of Slytherin, or whoever was acting in their name, was unlikely to attack a Slytherin, or the great amount of pureblood or halfblood students that were a part of that house.

"And?" He prompted when Minerva looked at him like he could read her mind.

"Look at this list." She slid it towards him.

A total of seven Gryffindors would be staying at Hogwarts over the holidays. A handful of upperclassmen and…Harry Potter. Severus frowned, scanning the small list again. Weasley and Granger were not present. He looked up.

Minerva raised her eyebrows. "Most non-purebloods have left for the holidays, as you can imagine. As well as a good deal others. The Weasley's, I know, were specifically requested to return home. And," she leaned forward, "Harry was also invited to the Burrow for the holidays as well."

"But he is staying," Severus stated.

"Yes." She sighed. "Undoubtedly, Molly also expected him accept the invitation. But, for whatever reason, he has chosen to stay here. It bothers me, Severus."

"That Potter can make his own decisions?"

"But Ron Weasley is his best friend! Why wouldn't he wish to visit them for the holidays?"

Severus picked up his discarded newspaper. "Perhaps he tired of them this summer."

Minerva pulled down his newspaper with slightly more vengeance than Severus thought was necessary. "In any case, he will be here for Christmas, practically alone."

"What are you suggesting? That he will be in danger?"

She leaned back. "I can keep an eye on him, that is for certain. But perhaps he is looking for another invitation?"

Severus had a feeling he knew exactly what she was implying. "No, I will be busy this holiday. I have a nearly full house with no classes to distract them. I will not babysit Potter."

"Severus." Her voice was dangerously close to a whine. "You cannot tell me that you thought taking care of Harry this summer was 'babysitting'. Just talk to him, ask him why he chose to stay."

Severus stood, deciding that it was high time he leave this conversation. Minerva frowned as he left, but otherwise didn't comment. She didn't understand the dynamic between Severus and Potter. How could she? He barely understood it himself. But one thing was very clear to him, Potter was trying to avoid him.

It had been happening all year, to a certain extent. But after Black's attacked the portrait of the Fat Lady, Potter had become particularly reclusive. He had tried to corner the boy on several occasions, but Potter would only shut down and refuse to talk. Severus was convinced he was hiding something, but he had yet to distinguish what.

He remembered what Lupin had said, months ago when Potter first asked to learn the Patronus Charm.

Harry trusts you. But you must do more than accept that.

Lupin had been wrong. Potter didn't trust him at all.


	27. Chapter 27

Harry looked at the pool of water that refused to leave the floor. The water looked black in the dark hall and Harry's feet splashed across the surface as he walked towards the far wall.

_The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Enemies of the heir, Beware!_

The Chamber of Secrets…Salazar Slytherin's heir…Harry touched the deep red paint, surprised to find it wet and sticky. It had been over a month since the incident, but the words seemed to resist being cleaned. And the water on the floor always there. Harry had been here, not too long after Colin was petrified. But him and most other students had avoided it since.

He looked down at the water; the source seemed to be the girl's bathroom. Harry seriously doubted that anyone was using it, so after a quick glance down the hall, he stepped inside.

One of the sinks was overflowing, spraying water against the far wall. Harry remembered being in a bathroom like this one last year, when him and Ron tried to warn Hermione about the troll. That was the first time, in his life, that he had felt so scared. But now, after so much had happened, he thought there were much more terrifying things than a troll.

There was soft moaning coming from one of the stalls, barely perceptible under the sound of splashing water. Harry froze, suddenly scared that he had stumbled in on some girl. He was about to back away, when she suddenly spoke up.

"Whose there? What do you want?"

Harry watched in awe as the girl flew straight through the stall door and floated before him. She was young, with large glasses and wearing Ravenclaw robes. She was laso rather silver and see-through. Her nose was wrinkled and she pointed an accusing finger at Harry.

"Boy in the girl's bathroom! What now? Come to throw a bag through my chest? Maybe your wand through my nose?" She let out a loud wail and Harry raised his arms in defense.

"No, no, no!" he pleaded. "I swear I didn't know you were in here. I was just looking around and…I'm sorry, please stop crying!"

He probably would have run, but she stopped her wailing, though her puffy eyes looked at him with suspicion. "Looking around? What? Did you realized you dropped your book right through my head!" She whirled back over the stalls, making one of the toilets splash and groan.

Harry stepped forward, looking into the stall she disappeared into. She was sitting in the bowl, arms crossed. Below her faded legs was some ratty old book, completely soaked. Curiously, Harry picked it up, flipping to the first page.

_T. M. Riddle_

The rest of the pages were blank. Some unused diary? Why would someone throw it away? He looked at the ghost girl. "What's your name?"

She stared at him, in shock. "Uh, Myrtle." Her eyes became less suspicious and teary. "What's yours?"

"I'm Harry. Can you tell me, Myrtle, what happened here a couple months ago? Did you see someone writing on the wall out there?"

She frowned, wrapping her arms around her legs. "No. I don't much like when I hear someone in the bathroom. Usually people come in here to mock me or throw things at me or-!" She was starting to get hysterical again.

"But did you see anyone?" Harry interrupted.

She hiccuped. "N-no, I was hiding in my toilet here."

Harry turned looking around the bathroom. Why would Sirius Black come into the bathroom? Did he come in this way? There had always been rumors of secret passages going in and out of Hogwarts. Could they be true? But there was no doors besides for the one leading back to the hallway.

Harry circled the small bathroom, but besides for the broken sink and the ghost haunting it, it seemed pretty normal. Why hadn't the teachers been able to clean up the water, though? Deciding to look back in the hall, Harry turned around to find himself face to face with Myrtle. He jumped back, surprised.

"What are you looking for, Harry?" she asked in a weirdly nice way.

"Uh, just looking for clues."

"Clues?"

Harry skirted around her. "Yeah, there was an attack here. I'm just trying to figure it out."

"Oh?" She leaned forward eagerly and Harry found himself pressed against the door. "Did someone die?"

Harry was more than a little unnerved by her smile. "Uh, no, he was just petrified. I…I have to go now. Bye!" He bolted from the bathroom, and slammed right into someone.

Harry grunted, falling hard. The diary splashed back on the floor and he hadn't realized he still been holding it. He quickly scrambled to pick it up before it got wet. But he suddenly remembered it had been in the pool of water in Myrtle's bathroom too. But the pages were dry and unblemished. He looked at them again, a little in wonder. Did it repel water?

Then he looked up to see who he ran into and found Snape standing there, arms folded. "Potter?" His voice held condemnation.

"I wasn't doing anything bad!" Harry quickly defended himself. But it only made Snape look more suspicious.

"I do believe you are snooping around. Have we not had the discussion about your tendency to put your nose into mattes that are none of your concern?"

Harry stuffed the diary into his robe and hunched his shoulders. "It's not like we're not allowed here, right?"

"Perhaps in this hallway, but you are certainly not allowed into the girl's bathroom."

Harry flushed, but he didn't know how to deny that one.

"Potter, is this the reason why you chose to stay here over the holidays? Despite all your friends being gone?"

Harry exhaled slowly. "No…I just didn't want to…go anywhere else." He really hadn't realized until after they left that this gave him a perfect opportunity to check out the 'scene of the crime'. Otherwise, as much fun as he had at the Burrow, he had a feeling that he would have been…out of place. Kind of like Christmas with the Dursley's. Not that the Weasleys were really anything like them, but Harry would still be the odd one out. "I'll just go back to the dorm, okay?" He stepped around Snape, anxious to get out from under his gaze.

"Potter."

Harry froze and Snape's footsteps were loud in the hall as he came to stand beside him. "Yes?" He looked up, but Snape was looking somewhere ahead of them.

"It has come to my attention that you have been…unattended this break."

Harry blinked. What did he mean? Snape almost looked…awkward. "I'm fine."

Snape seemed to seize himself up. "You will be residing in my quarters for the remainder of the break. As it seems I must have a close eye on you to keep you from snooping around."

Harry turned. "I wasn't-!"

"You were, Potter. Now, I shall have the house elves bring down your things. So you will accompany me now." He whirled around and stomped down the hallway.

Harry felt a little stunned. But suddenly the thought occurred to him. House elves? "What are house elves?"

Snape hesitated, but continued his trek down the hall. "Who do you think cooks your food or cleans your room here? House elves are magical servants." He looked at Harry suspiciously. "Haven't you mentioned one before?"

Harry flushed. "Uh, I think I've met one. He was weird."

Snape snorted. "They often are."

Harry had hesitated telling Snape about Dobby, but obviously house elves weren't that uncommon. It wasn't like hearing voices that no one else heard. "His name was Dobby. He's the one who sent the bludger after me."

Snape halted in his tracks. "What?" His teeth were practically clenched.

"Well, I didn't know at the time or anything. He's got this weird… idea or something. Kept saying I'm in danger and need to leave Hogwarts."

"_What?_" Snape advanced towards him. "Potter, tell me exactly how long ago you saw this…_Dobby._" He was practically growling the name. "And what, exactly, _did he say?_"

Harry felt the stone wall against his back, cold on his sweaty palms. "W-well, I saw him just after the Quidditch game. But I first saw him at the Dursleys-" He sucked in some air harshly, nearly choking on his. He felt his heart seizing high in his chest. Snape was bearing down on him and Harry felt his neck prickling. "H-he was keeping my letters from me a-and…and he ruined the dinner party," he whispered the words.

He remembered the crash of the pudding on the clean tile floor. Aunt Petunia's shriek of surprise. Uncle Vernon's face, nearly purple in rage. Uncle Vernon had lost the deal because of that. They locked him in the spare room because of that. They had…

Harry felt a hand on his shoulder, fingers digging in. He looked up, feeling dazed. And, for a brief moment, he thought he saw something like fear on Snape's face.

"Severus? Harry?" The moment passed and Harry looked over to see Lupin walking down the hallway. "Is everything alright? Did something happen?"

Harry felt his body trembling and he forced himself to take even breaths. "I'm fine. I'm fine." He side stepped away from Snape, looking to Lupin.

Lupin looked more haggard than usual, pale and exhausted. But he looked at Harry with concern. "It's Christmas Eve, why have you not gone down to the feast, Harry?"

Harry looked up at Snape, feeling the tension ease from his throat. "I…I'm not hungry."

"I see…but would you mind joining me?" Harry blinked at Lupin, who only smiled at him warmly. "There is so few of us here this break, the Great Hall will look very empty even missing one of us. Isn't that right, Severus?"

Snape appeared to have swallowed a lemon, but he gave a very stiff nod. Harry cleared his throat. "Okay, I guess I'll go then."

Lupin smiled brightly. "Excellent. Let us all walk together then, yes?"


	28. Chapter 28

Severus sat at the long table Dumbledore had put together. With so few students, all the teachers fit together with them at one table. Granted the table was filled with mostly Slytherins, but everyone seemed to be getting along alright. Or perhaps even the most troublesome students didn't want to make a show in front of the headmaster.

Lupin sat across from him, guiding Potter to sit beside him. Severus couldn't get an angle on the man. He had come across them in the hall during a rather…tense moment. Yet he had barely questioned it. Now he sat next to Potter, giving idle chatter about the quality of the potatoes. Potter, for the most part, still looked shell-shocked, though he had recovered mostly.

Severus couldn't deny to himself that he had been at some fault earlier. He had practically pinned Potter to the wall, demanding answers. The boy had immediately shut down and it wasn't until Severus practically shook him that he was able to snap out of it. He still looked pale, but next to Lupin, who had a full moon tomorrow night, he looked rather hale.

But Potter had mentioned a house elf named Dobby. This Dobby had apparently been trying to keep him from Hogwart's since summer? Was it something to do with Sirius Black? Did Dobby have information on him?

Severus scowled all the way through the Christmas Eve dinner. What he really wanted to do was demand more answers from him. But…he knew those wide green eyes staring at up in fear that Potter probably didn't realize how raw they bled.

Severus stood early from the meal, rubbing his head. Surprisingly, Potter also stood. Somewhat unsurprisingly, Lupin joined then. Severus had no idea what Lupin could be up to. The man had to be preparing himself for the full moon tomorrow night. Even Severus could see how haggard and edgy he looked. But Lupin just strode next to Potter, talking lightly.

"I have secured a classroom for next term so that I could teach you the Patronus Charm."

"The one to kill Dementors?"

"It wards them off. But there will have to be much progress to get that far. I think we should start out by taking it slow, learning the basics of the charm." He looked at Severus, as if daring him to comment.

Severus thought it was a hopeless case for a twelve year old to learn the Patronus charm. But if Lupin insisted on wasting his free time trying to teach it to Potter, Severus wasn't going to stop him. Potter didn't notice the exchange, nodding to himself. "What day will the lessons be?"

They were still discussing schedules as Severus approached his office, he turned, hoping Lupin would get the hint and leave them. Lupin, however continued talking to Potter. "I know the Quidditch season got off to a rough start, but how have practices been going?"

"Um, good. Wood -the Captain- was really disappointed that we didn't win last year. Keeps talking about how we should have had it. But then I…well, I didn't make it to the final match." Severus looked over, but Potter was displaying no signs of shutting down, despite the mention of the encounter with the Dark Lord last year. Instead, he looked up to Lupin smiling. "He's been working us hard, but I've always loved flying. Last year I got a Nimbus 2000, and it's just the best!"

Lupin smirked at Severus. "Though I have seen each member of the Slytherin team with their own Nimbus 2001, am I right?"

Severus glowered, but Potter didn't notice. "Yeah, but even the best broom can't fix a lousy defense." He suddenly paled, looking up at Severus. "I-I mean…it's not that…"

Lupin laughed loudly, patting Potter on the shoulder. "It's alright Harry. If I remember from our school days, Severus, you were never very interested in Quidditch."

Potter suddenly lit up, putting a hand on Severus' robe. "Yeah, didn't you once say how my mum would drag you to Quidditch games?"

"Did Lily?" Lupin raised his eyebrows.

"Did you know my mum too?" Potter's fingers were digging into his sleeve.

Lupin's face closed slightly. "Yes, she was a very dear friend." He turned away. "But, it's late, I should leave you two to your evening." Then he walked away, leaving the office.

Severus turned to the door to his private quarters, opening up the locks. Potter followed after him, more slowly. "Did you know Professor Lupin when you were in school?"

Severus lit a fire in the hearth, falling into his favorite worn chair. For whatever reason, Potter took to the floor before the fire. "I knew him, yes."

"But you weren't friends."

"How did you deduce that?"

Potter shrugged. "You kind of seem like you hate him."

Severus snorted. "Two points to Gryffindor." He conjured a pot of tea for himself and a cup of hot chocolate for Potter. The boy reached out eagerly, though he merely held the beverage close, not drinking.

"We can't get or lose points over the holidays."

"Pity."

Potter smiled into his cup, but he suddenly frowned. "You know, I used to think that you hated me."

Severus looked down at his folded legs with mismatched socks. Potter was wearing some over-sized lumpy sweater, though his trousers were new from their trip this summer to Diagon Alley. "Indeed?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, you kind of glared at me all the time. But, uh, nothing else. I kind of thought you couldn't stand the sight of me or something." He gave a forced laugh. "But you don't, right?"

There was some point, last year, that Severus knew exactly how he would act around Potter. He had planned to be more than sneering. But harsh, even to the point of cruel. He had been under the impression that Harry Potter would be James Potter, arrogant, selfish, loud. He would beat it out of him, if he had to.

Severus couldn't quite remember why that plan hadn't come to fruition. He mostly remembered seeing how scrawny Potter was compared to his peers. Nearly a full head smaller. He hadn't grown much in the past year. And that first day of class, the day he would stake his right to prove Potter the arrogant fraud he was…he hadn't.

And a year passed and Severus had never ridiculed Potter the way he intended. And, after the experience of the summer, he doubt he ever could without feeling somewhat ill.

The boy was still waiting for an answer and Severus realized he had been slow to give it. "I do not hate you, Potter."

He looked down into his hot chocolate. "Then why do you call me Potter?"

"Does it bother you?"

He gave a half shrug. "Only teachers call me that. Or Malfoy." He bit his lip and looked up. "You can call me Harry. I mean, you've said it sometimes. But you can call me Harry all the time."

Had he called him Harry at some point? Perhaps… "If you wish."

Potter-Harry, gave him a shy smile. "Yeah."

"Though I will still refer to you as Mr. Potter in class, you understand."

He nodded, almost too eagerly. "Yeah, I get it." He put down the empty mug. "So, what do we do now?"

"Do?"

"Like, on Christmas Eve. What do people do?"

Severus felt his insides twist slightly. But he pushed the feeling aside, leaning forward. "Well, first people don't keep secrets. Tell me more about this 'Dobby'."

Harry slumped, turning away. "What about him?"

"What exactly did he tell you?"

Another half shrug. "Just that I was in danger, that's all."

"Nothing else? No hint? A name?"

"I dunno!" Harry's face was slightly flushed. "All I know is he was trying to keep me from Hogwarts and now he wants me to leave. Maybe he's working for Sirius Black or something," he muttered darkly.

Severus leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply. "Perhaps, but unlikely. Black is a fugitive and most likely has no permanent dwelling in which to procure a house elf. House elves are also bound by magic to obey their masters. He could not tell you anything unless his master gave him leave."

Harry turned. "Is that why he kept banging his head on stuff every time I tried to ask him something?"

Severus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes, that is a trend that some house elves indulge in."

"It's…kind of weird. Doesn't it hurt?"

"It doesn't matter to them. They only know obeying and disobeying."

"So Dobby is disobeying Black in order to warn me?"

Severus narrowed his eyes. "Harry, if this Dobby is Black's house elf, you should be very wary. Hogwarts is the safest place for you at the moment. To keep you away could make you an easier target."

Harry looked down. "Oh, I see."

"Look at me." He did, begrudgingly. "If Dobby appears before you again, you are to contact me immediately."

"How? I mean, if I'm not down here?"

"Every fireplace in Hogwarts is hooked to the floo system, just stick you head in and call for me."

Harry looked to the fireplace with newfound unease. "Alright."

"Harry. Come here." He stood, slowly and stepped before Severus, looking down. Severus took his hands, forcing him to meet his eyes. "Under no circumstances are you to listen to Dobby. Even if I cannot be there in time to speak with him. Ignore him. Do not listen."

Harry's hands twitched in his. "Yeah, okay."

It wasn't very convincing, but the best Severus might get. He pressed on. "You will also resist the urge to go snooping around for Black, am I clear?"

"I wasn't-"

"You were in the girl's bathroom on the first floor which has been out of order since the beginning of the year. You were looking for something and I do not appreciate it."

Harry flushed. "You know, Lupin saw me there and didn't say anything about it," he blurted.

Severus narrowed his eyes and forced his fingers to relax before they hurt the boy. "Lupin doesn't know you like I do. Nor is he responsible for you like I am."

He was silent for a moment, looking down. His hands were lax, however, and he didn't seem tense anymore. "Oh…okay."

Severus stared at him for a moment longer, then dropped his hands. Waving his wand he conjured another beverage for Harry. "Drink this before you go to bed

He looked down at it curiously, then back to Severus. "What is it? Another potion?"

"Warm milk with nutmeg. You must try to not always use potions to sleep."

Harry took a warm sip, smiling. "I get the spare room right? Is my stuff already here?" He stepped away looking into the spare bedroom that only appeared in Severus' quarters the year before. "Cool." He walked back. "But isn't it a bit early to go to bed?"

Severus tilted his head. "If you are unwilling, perhaps there is some homework you need to finish this break."

Harry flushed, sitting back before the fire. "You are no fun."

Severus summoned a book from his shelf. "Undoubtedly."


	29. Chapter 29

Harry woke early the next morning, stretching in his bed and feeling languid and warm. He knew the stone floor of the dungeon were going to by icy, so he opted to stay under the covers for awhile longer. Opening his eyes, his glasses glinted back at him, but also something else.

He had been looking at the diary last night, trying to see if any pages had anything. Which they didn't. Or if it was invisible ink, which it didn't seem to be. Nor did it show any signs that it had been soaked the day before. Now he reached out, flipping through it again. What if he just wrote in it?

Fumbling for a quill and ink, Harry sat up in bed, propping the first page before him. He accidentally splattered the ink, but instead of staining the paper, it seemed to get instantly absorbed. Harry blinked, pressing down hard with his quill, but the same thing happened. And none of the pages were bleeding on each other.

So he wrote.

_My name is Harry Potter._

The words sank away and Harry was about to write more, when there suddenly was more words appearing.

_Hello, Harry Potter. My name is Tom._

The handwriting was more elegant than Harry's. Kind of like when Snape writes potion instructions on the board. Harry looked up, suddenly feeling like he was doing something wrong. But what was wrong with a little enchanted diary?

_How are you in the diary?_

_This diary was mine when I was a student at Hogwarts. I pressed my memory into these pages._

A memory? Well, that sounded pretty harmless. Harry shifted deeper into his pillow.

_I'm at Hogwarts right now. _Harry suddenly wanted to ask Tom if he knew about the Chamber of Secrets. But Tom was just a diary, what could he know about that mystery? _It's Christmas morning, did you know?_

_I had not known. But I have many fond memories of Christmas at Hogwarts. In fact, I spent every Christmas I could there._

Harry smiled. _Me too. I wish I could stay here even during the summer._ Harry suddenly wondered what he was going to do this summer. Would they send him back to the Dursleys? The thought made his fingers feel numb, but Tom was already writing back.

_I had tried that myself. But it is against school policy to let students stay over the summer break, I suppose._

_Were your relatives awful too? _Harry wondered if he was being a little nosy. But what's the point of a diary if one can't get nosy?

_I have no relatives…I stayed in an orphanage before I attended Hogwarts and returned there every summer._

_Oh, sorry._

_That is not necessary. _

_Where did you go after you graduated?_

_This is only a memory of my years at Hogwarts. Though, from time to time, I'm put into the hands of friendly students like yourself and I receive news of the world as it is now._

_When did you graduate?_

_1945_

Harry's eyes widened and he resisted the urge to write something stupid like 'wow, you're old.' _Guess I can't ask you for test answers then…_

_Most likely. But I have a feeling that Professor Binns probably uses the same tests from fifty years ago._

A laugh burst from Harry and he heard footsteps outside the door.

"Potter? Unless you find your essay on the history of goblin wars to be that hilarious, I suggest you get out of bed and come out here."

Harry hastily put the diary aside and stood up. "Coming!"

He threw on a worn robe that he found in the closet. It was a little too big, but he rolled up the sleeves anyway. He opened the door to find Snape glowering down at him. But Harry looked past him to the pile of presents surrounding the fireplace and a tray set out with steaming mugs and a variety of cakes.

"We have presents!"

"Potter, you are not dressed."

Harry looked over his shoulder, unable to stifle a cheeky smile. "You promise to call me Harry."

Severus closed his eyes briefly. "Harry, you are not dressed."

"Dressed enough for Christmas."

Harry threw himself to the floor. He kind of wanted to tear open everything at once, like Dudley would always. But he also kind of didn't want to act like Dudley. Instead, he carefully sorted through whose were whose. It was kind of weird that he had more presents, considering Harry hardly even got half a present at Christmas before Hogwarts.

Having sorted them, he looked up to find Snape in his chair looking at him curiously. "What?" Harry asked.

Snape blinked and then shook himself from whatever he was thinking about. "You might as well proceed. I doubt my study is going to survive if you wait a moment longer."

Harry giggled and tore open the one closest to him. Ron gave him a new set of gobstones that changed color depending on whether you were winning or not. Hermione gave him a broom polishing kit that included a very thick book about proper broom care. It was brilliant. Mrs. Weasley gave him another sweater and a whole bag of homemade treats. She must have spelled them somehow, cause when he opened the back they were steaming like they just came from the oven. Harry found it difficult to pull his new lumpy sweater over his head and eat a mouthful of pumpkin pasties at the same time. He did look up in time to see Snape rolling his eyes at him.

"What did you get?" His words might have been a bit garbled, considering he was still half-eating.

Snape raised an eyebrow. "If you ever talk to me again with a mouth full of pastry, I will turn it into ash." He held up three books that all seemed to be written in Latin or Cyrillic. "It seems my co-workers know me well."

Harry looked around the room, at the bookshelves lining the walls. It was kind of that way at Snape's house too. "Have you really read all of these?"

Snape set aside the books, reaching for a lumpy package at his feet. "You might find that if you don't squander your hours away playing on your broom or snooping around quarantined areas that there is much time in the day for a little light reading."

Harry seriously doubted that was light reading. But he dropped it in order to pull forward another present. It was slim, like a thick letter. Pulling the paper apart, revealed…more paper?

Harry turned the worn parchment around, but it didn't have any writing. Was this some mistake? He looked for a note, but there was none. He looked up to find Snape also staring at it.

"What is it?" Snape asked.

Harry shrugged. "Don't know who it is from, either."

Snape suddenly looked very serious and held out his hand. "Let me see it."

Harry almost didn't want to hand it over. They were having a nice time, he didn't want something to spoil it. But not obeying would probably spoil the mood anyway. He handed it over. Snape put it wand to it. "_Reveal!_" His frowned deepened.

Harry sat up, looking over at it. A messy scrawl appeared across the page.

_Reveal? On whose authority?_

"I am Professor Severus Snape."

Four distinctive lines were suddenly written before them.

_Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business._

_Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git._

_Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a Professor._

_Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slime-ball._

Harry had to hold his breath to keep from laughing. Snape only scowled and thrust the parchment back to him. "It seems to be some joke that only insults." Harry held the parchment grinning, holding back saying how good he thought those insults were. "Undoubtedly from one of your Weasley friends."

Harry shrugged. "Probably." He would have to ask Ron when he got back from break. Harry didn't have his wand on him to see what kind of response he would get, so he put the paper with the rest of his presents. He had one left and he realized that Snape did too. He knew that they had yet to open each other's presents and Harry felt his stomach fly up into his throat somewhere. So he didn't speak, but opened up what Snape gave him.

It was several pairs of thick woolen socks.

Harry touched them to find them warm to the touch and softer than Hedwig's downy feathers. There was a green pair, a maroon, and a golden cream colored pair. He looked up to find Snape looking a little awkward. "You are lacking in unworn socks." He paused. "And you seem to detest the temperature of the floor here and at my home. As they are self-warming, you have no reason to loiter in bed in the morning."

Harry looked back down at the socks and quickly slid on the green pair. Snape had bought him clothes this summer. But this was a little different. It wasn't just Snape buying him clothes, he was giving Harry a reason to be here. Even small, it made Harry feel a soothing warmth in his stomach. "Th-thank you," he managed. "I…I love them."

Snape looked like he was trying to sneer, but he just looked like he was pouting. "Also, I expect you to throw away some of those deplorable socks that you own now."

Harry smiled and he kind of felt like he was going to cry. So instead he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Snape's neck, the rest of the socks lost somewhere between them. "Thanks. It's my favorite."

"Favorite?" Snape sounded a little stiff, but he didn't push him away.

"Christmas," Harry whispered and somehow found himself crawling onto Snape's lap, squishing them both into the worn chair. He clutched the present to his chest, letting his head drop on Snape's shoulder. "Open mine."

Snape opened the package, revealing a long dark green scarf. Harry flushed as Snape raised an eyebrow at him.

"Did you know that when I stayed over at the Weasley's, Mrs. Weasley taught me how to knit. I mean…I'm not very good at it, but Hermione helped. And I know you like books but I didn't know what kind of book to get you…besides, you don't seem to have a scarf…" He suddenly felt very self-conscious. "Do you like it?"

Severus looked over them closely. Though it was a little awkward since one arm was partially trapped by Harry. Harry was sure he'd mention something about how he had missed count in the middle or sometimes the stitches were too tight or too loose. But instead he held it up and said, "It seems to be very durable."

Harry took that as a yes and settled against his chest more firmly. For all his dark robes and stiff posture, Snape was warm. He smelled a little like burnt slugs. But he also smelled like lavender and peat. Harry closed his eyes and kind of felt like crying again. But in the good way. It didn't make much sense, but he was really glad that Snape didn't push him away. He just eventually reached over and flipped open one of his newest books.

Harry closed his eyes.


	30. Chapter 30

Snape deeply regretted going to the Christmas Day meal when he found himself squashed between and overly joyous headmaster and Hagrid, who was rapidly inhaling eggnog that did not smell appropriate for festivities with school children. That that Hagrid looked completely unashamed as Severus cough the glint of a flask being stowed under the massive beard. Severus scowled into his mashed potatoes, already wishing to be back in the dungeons as Dumbledore offered him a cracker. Again.

Harry, however, seemed to be enjoying himself. He had managed to strike up a conversation with a first year Slytherin girl sitting next to him. Her name was Holly Johnson, a quiet girl. She kept shooting looks across the table to Snape, as if he might disapprove of her talking to him. Whether because he was Harry Potter or just a Gryffindor, Severus wasn't sure. He looked away, hoping to not disturb them.

The sound of crackers were loud at the other end of the table. The students were eagerly watching them explode and trading more outrageous hats. Dumbledore managed to pull a cracker with McGonagall and won himself a giant peacock hat which he quickly switched his own wizard hat for.

Snape's attention wasn't drawn to Harry until a couple of fifth year Slytherins stepped down the table and offered him one. Harry looked a little wary, but he reached out and grasped the other end. The bang that resounded was not like the others, sharper and less refined. Instead of a whimsical hat sprouting forth, a live snake materialized on the ground.

Immediately, half the table was at their feet. Severus had his wand half out, when he saw the snake blindly reach for the nearest person, Holly Johnson. But Harry was the first to react, he put his hand out and opened his mouth.

And hissed at the snake.

It sounded…terrible and disturbing. So much that Severus forgot his plan to banish the snake. He could only look at Harry in slight horror as the boy spoke in Parseltongue. The snake wavered, but Dumbledore waved his wand and it was gone.

The room was silent, everyone staring at Harry. Harry looked around, curiously. Did he not realize?

Then Severus remembered himself. "Davis, Allen," he addressed the two Slytherin boys. "Come with me." He swept out of the Great Hall, the two sullen boys in tow. As much as he wanted to throttle them in the hallway, he led them down to his office before turning to them. "Explain."

Davis didn't quite have the poker face of Allen. He spoke first. "It wasn't our fault or nothing. We didn't know the cracker was rigged."

Severus raised an eyebrow.

"It was a gift from a friend. That's all."

Severus looked between them, folding his arms. "Ah, and this 'gift' from a friend. You decide to try it on Potter? Right in front of the headmaster?"

Allen spoke. "We didn't know that would happen! Besides, whats freaky is that Potter. You hear him speak that snake talk? That's whats not right."

Severus massaged the bridge of his nose. "Once the term starts again, you both will be scrubbing cauldrons for me in the evenings for a week. If you do not tell me exactly where you received this cracker, then it will be for a month. You are dismissed."

The boys glowered at him, but they left without a word. Severus sat back in his desk chair, looking at the swirling vials on his shelves and waited for the inevitable. A small knock on his door.

Severus looked up to find Harry standing in the doorway. "Can I come in?"

Severus stood. "Come, we should probably speak of this somewhere more private." He led him to his quarters. He took his usual chair, but Harry remained standing.

"It was a joke, right?" Harry asked weakly.

"A very poor joke, yes."

Harry looked down. "I didn't do anything bad, right?"

Severus folded his hands before him. "Harry…what did you say to the snake?"

He paled. "I just told it to stay away from Holly. I tried explaining that to her, but she wouldn't talk to me anymore! But couldn't you all hear? I just told it to stay away." He was trembling, obviously trying to hold back tears.

Severus beckoned him forward, intending to have him stand before him. But Harry stepped forward and crawled into his lap. As a twelve year old boy, Harry was probably a little old to perform such an act.

But he was so small for his age.

Severus sighed and let Harry settle himself, frowning and looking down somewhere around his lap. "Why did no one understand?"

"You were speaking in Parseltongue."

"What?"

"It is the language of snakes and…very rare that wizards are born with the ability."

Harry was silent for a moment. "You know, I think I've done it before. Once, before I came to Hogwarts, I once set a snake loose from the Zoo." He gave a soft smile. "Almost made Dudley piss his pants."

Severus felt one hand, which he had no realized was around Harry's shoulder, give a soft squeeze. "Harry…you must also know how others view this power…very few wizards who possessed it were not considered…dark wizards."

"…oh."

"That is not an implication that you are a dark wizard. But it is the likely reason that Holly was too intimidated to speak to you."

Harry made an odd snuffling noise, his voice very soft. "Have you ever known anyone that speaks Parse..parsetongue?"

"Parseltongue. And yes, I knew of one."

"What were they like?"

Severus let his chin drop slightly. "He was a dark wizard."


	31. Chapter 31

_Tom? Do you know what Parseltongue is?_

_The language of snakes. Why do you ask?_

_I just found out that I can speak it. Well, I guess I've done it before, but I didn't realize other people couldn't do it._

_Ah, I see. I'm guessing others did not react well to this discovery?_

_No, they say only dark wizards can speak it._

_Not necessarily dark wizards. I actually believe it is a sign of a most powerful wizard, in fact._

_Do you know anyone that speaks Parseltongue?_

_Myself, actually._

_Really? How did you know? What did your friends think?_

_I was always familiar that I could control snakes. When I came to Hogwarts and found that some wizards and witches did not appreciate it, I kept it hidden only to my closest friends. I found those who respected it were worthy of hearing me speak it._

Harry didn't seem to have much of a choice. Once the break was over, it seemed like the entire school knew about the incident at Christmas. Half the students looked too afraid to even pass him in the hallway, others looked at him like they were impressed. Harry wasn't sure which he hated more.

Then there was the rumor that Harry had opened up the Chamber of Secrets. That Harry had been letting Sirius Black into the school. Ron and Hermione, of course, were on his side. But he hated the thought that anyone would think he was trying to help the man that murdered his parents.

_Do you know what the Chamber of Secrets is?_

_Yes. In fact, while I was in school the Chamber was opened._

_It was? What happened?_

_Would you like me to show you?_

"Mr. Potter, could you stay after class?"

Harry quickly slammed the diary shut. It wasn't that he was trying to ignore Professor Lupin's lecture. But Professor Lupin seemed to have caught a cold during the break and could only manage a boring lecture. He looked half dead on his feet.

"Y-yes, sir." The class was over, though Harry hadn't quite realized it, having been engrossed with his conversation with Tom. He had been talking more and more to him recently. Not that Ron or Hermione weren't good friends, but Tom seemed older, more mature. And he was always willing to talk.

Harry stepped up to Lupin who seemed to be sinking in his desk chair. "Are you available this evening?"

"Yes?"

"Then, if you are still interested, we can begin our private lessons then."

Harry smiled, foul mood instantly lifted. "Really?" Who cares if the rest of the school was scared of him if he could fight off a Dementor.

"Yes, if you could meet me at my office at 7pm, then we could get started."

Harry practically skipped through the rest of his day. He couldn't wait to actually to make some progress. Oliver Wood kept asking him every other practice if he had a plan for the next game or not.

"Not that you didn't perform great as usual…but it would be nice to win a match without you being sent to the infirmary," he would say.

Harry arrived at Lupin's office on time to find the professor standing outside of it. Lupin smiled warmly at him, even though he had dark circles under his eyes. "Come with me, I've got a bit of a surprise for you."

He strode down the hallway, though at a much slower gait than Harry had seen before. "Are you still not feeling well?" he asked.

Lupin looked over his shoulder. "Hmm? Oh, just had a bit of a flu this Christmas. I'll be alright in a few days."

Harry wondered if some people just got sick more easily than others. But after Harry came to Hogwarts, even something like a cold was cured by a pepper-up potion.

Lupin led him to a spare classroom that Harry had never been in before. The chairs and desks had been cleared away, leaving an open space on the floor. Lupin turned to him. "Now the incantation is _Expecto Patronum_." He demonstrated.

Harry watched closely. It didn't seem that hard. Some of his charms homework involved more complicated wand movements.

Lupin seemed to read his mind. "It may look easy, but it is the thought and power behind that words that really counts. A Patronus is a…guardian of sorts. And it is made entirely from your own happy, good feelings. Which is why it is so effective against a Dementor, which feeds on terror and despair."

"What does it look like?" Harry asked.

"It is different for all people. It is your personal, happy guardian, after all. Now give the spell a try. Remember to also be thinking of a good memory. It will help give it power."

Harry held out his wand. "_Expecto Patronum!_" He almost shouted, a little scared at suddenly trying the new spell. The end of the wand lit up, but otherwise there was nothing.

"Again. Concentrate."

Harry took a deep breath. A happy memory…flying! He remembered the first time he got on a broomstick and felt like this was the reason he was a wizard. This was why he was at Hogwarts. "_Expecto Patronum!_" A small, silver mist erupted the the end of his wand. It didn't look like much, but Harry was happy that something happened this time.

Lupin smiled at the progress too. He did make Harry practice it for awhile, just to make sure he would get the silver mist with every try. But Harry didn't see how it was suppose to be a 'guardian'.

Lupin eventually stepped over to a cupboard that was shoved into one corner. "Now, it has come to my attention that a boggart is currently residing in this cupboard. Since your greatest fear is a Dementor, it will appear before you."

Harry gripped his wand a little tighter. "And my Patronus will work?"

"To a certain extent. Mostly, this is practice." He smiled. "And I wasn't about to have you practice on a real Dementor."

Harry was suddenly glad of that too. Encountering the boggart last time hadn't been very fun either, but at least he knew it wasn't totally real. Harry raised his wand and squared himself to the cupboard. "Okay I'm ready."

Lupin put his hand on the handle. "Remember, concentrate on the happy memory. The stronger, the better." He opened the cupboard.

It seemed like darkness entered the room, then a terrible chill.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" Harry yelled. But as one putrid hand extended from the cupboard, he felt his entire arm go numb. "_Expecto Patronum!_" There wasn't anything coming out of his wand and he gasped, trying to draw breath. The room kept getting darker.

_Not Harry! Please! Not Harry! I'll do anything-_

_Stand aside! Stand aside, stupid girl!_

_Harry! Harry…_

"Harry?" Lupin's face swirled above him. The room was fully lit again and Harry found himself gasping for breath. As if he had risen from a very deep lake. "Harry? Here, can you eat this?"

Lupin pressed chocolate into Harry's hand. He nibbled on it, but his throat felt too tight to swallow. "I…heard her begging Voldemort for my life…He…he told her to stand aside…"

Lupin looked very pale. "Perhaps that is enough for tonight. Perhaps next week, we'll-"

"No!" Harry gagged down the chocolate. It felt warm and sickly in his stomach. He stood to his feet. "Let's try again. I just didn't know what to expect."

Lupin hesitated, arm slightly outstretched. "Alright, maybe just once more." He stepped back to the cupboard.

Harry held out his wand again. Another memory, something stronger…Going to Hogwarts for the first time. Knowing he was a wizard and learning magic. "I'm ready."

Lupin bit his lip, but flung open the door.

He would be leaving the Dursleys. He wasn't a freak anymore. He was special. Important. A wizard!

"_Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum!_" A flimsy white mist spewed from his wand as the Dementer emerged from the cupboard. "_Expecto Patronum!_" Harry could see the entire cloaked body. It spread it's arms, shadowing the rest of the room, and walked towards him.

_Run, Lily! It's him! He's here! Take Harry! Run!_

_James! No!_

_RUN!_

Harry felt like he clawed his way from the darkness. He opened his eyes, arms thrashing out as Lupin dodged. Harry rolled onto his side, feeling like he might vomit. He gasped, eyes springing with tears. He felt like an idiot. This wasn't even a real Dementor, but he he was, writhing on the ground like a baby. "I can't…why can't I get it?"

He could here Lupin behind him and he was glad he didn't try to give him more chocolate. "Harry, the effect of the Dementor is to weaken their prey. This is a very normal reaction."

Harry rolled over, glaring through his tears. "But no one else on the train fainted!"

Lupin was sitting cross legged, hands folded before him. "No one else has live through what you have, Harry. It is incomparable."

Harry sagged against the floor, resting his cheek on the worn stones. They were warmer here than in the dungeons. "I hear my mum begging to save me. But…sometimes I also hear my dad…"

"You hear James?"

Harry looked up. "You knew him?"

Lupin's expression was warm. "He was one of my best friends while we were at Hogwarts."

Harry sat up slightly. "Then you knew Sirius Black, right?"

Lupin flinched. "I…yes, I did know him…or I thought I did." Lupin waved a hand, as if trying to banish the conversation. "We should really stop for the evening. How about next week?"

Harry might be crying on the floor, but he wasn't about to give up after two tries. "Just once more. I did better that time right?"

Lupin did not look convinced at all. "You'll do better after a good rest, I think."

"No." Harry stood. "I can't leave without some progress."

"You've done very well. Much better than full-grown wizards, I think! You don't need to push-"

"Yes, I do!" Harry held out his wand. "I just need something better…more happy memory…"

Lupin slowly came to stand by the cupboard, though he did not put his hand on the door. "Harry…"

Harry closed his eyes. What was something so amazing, so incredible that it would over power the Dementor? Something warm, that would block any terrible cold…

A fireplace, a warm mug of milk and nutmeg…he smelled like old potions and gardening dirt…he had read that book of ancient potion recipes for almost an hour before he made Harry get up and get dressed for the meal…

Harry opened his eyes. "I'm ready!"

The cupboard flew open.

"_Expecto Patronum!_" The darkness filled the room. But that was okay, because Harry knew a warm fire. "_Expecto Patronum!_" The Demento stepped towards him and Harry's wand shook, emitting a small white mist. A warm drink in a warm study. "_Expecto Patronum!_"

Harry could see the Dementor and his only flimsy patronus. But the screaming was in his mind again. He fought to stay focused, though he couldn't feel his legs. He tried to wield his wand like a shield in front of him.

He kept his arm around Harry and didn't move it. He let Harry lie against him without complaint. "_Expecto Patronum!_" The Dementor was slowing down, but Harry felt himself fading fast.

_Don't take Harry! Please, not Harry!_

"_Expecto Patronum! Ex…Expecto…Patronum!_"

It didn't matter, it didn't matter….

_Where are you?! I told you to COME OUT NOW!_

"_Expec-to…Expecto Pa…_"

_If you can see me…_

_please…_

_GET THE STONE!_

_please help me…_

Lupin was before him, arms spread wide. The Dementor shuddered then transformed into a glowing orb. "_Riddikulus!_" The orb made a strange screeching sound, then zoomed back into the cupboard, slamming the door loudly.

Harry gasped falling to his knees. But even as the awful words echoed in his head, he couldn't help but smile. Lupin turned, concern etched into the lines of his face. "Harry-?"

Harry sighed, still smiling. "I did it. I didn't faint." He had a raging headache and sort of felt like he arm wrestled with a troll. But he was awake this time. "See? I told you I could do it."

Lupin put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. "You have impressed me very much. Such progress…well, you are a very talented student. Come, I think you are overdue for a rest."

This time, Harry didn't argue. He didn't think he could lift his wand arm even if Sirius Black appeared before him. Lupin took him by the elbow, guiding him back to the hallway. "Professor…what was my dad like?"

Lupin tensed a bit, but then softened his features. "James was…well, he was a very dynamic individual and a great friend." He looked at Harry. "I was never very good at making friends, until I met him."

"People always say I look like him."

Lupin nodded. "There is some truth in that. You have the Potter hair, never tamed. But you are also quite different. You don't walk like him, for instance."

Harry suddenly felt a little self-conscious. "Oh."

Lupin patted the Harry's arm that he was holding. "It's a compliment, believe me. James was a brilliant student and was very popular. You could say his walk had sort of a…swagger to it."

Harry grinned. "Was he a troublemaker too?"

"Oh, undoubtedly! James and Sirius would make these elaborate plans to…uh, well…" Lupin trailed off awkwardly.

Harry looked down. "I know he was best mates with Sirius Black."

"You do?"

Harry didn't want to say he had been listening in on the teachers talking. Not that it was his fault they were doing it in public. "I have a picture of my parents wedding. Sirius Black was the best man." Harry suddenly felt something in his chest burst. "Why…would he do it?" Harry asked, looking at Lupin. "Why would Sirius Black betray us?"

"I do not know. But darkness and madness don't always make sense."

"But they were _best friends_. How could he just…give them to Voldemort!"

"Harry!" Lupin closed his eyes and Harry fell silent. They remained that way for awhile, walking down the empty hallways of Hogwarts. Eventually, Harry wondered if Lupin didn't want to talk about it anymore. Harry kind of understood. If, when he grew up, found that Ron was suddenly evil and murdered Hermione…well, he wouldn't know what to think of his school days. Or what he would do without his two best friends.

"Harry," Lupin finally spoke as they were ascending the stairs that would lead to Gryffindor tower, "I want you do promise me that you won't go looking for Sirius Black."

Harry held back from pouting. "I'm not stupid. I don't go looking for trouble. Trouble just…finds me."

Lupin gave a half-hearted smile. "If you are anything like your father, you take loyalty very seriously. Sirius Black may have betrayed your parents, but don't get any idea that it is your responsibility to get revenge."

Harry flushed. "I wasn't-"

"Good, because I think the last thing James and Lily would want for you is to put yourself in danger." He hesitated. "And, if it means anything to you, Professor Snape and I would also be very dismayed to see your life at risk."

Harry suddenly felt a little embarrassed. "I don't think Snape would be dismayed…angry, probably…"

Lupin stopped just as they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. He leaned down, looking directly into Harry's eyes. "Professor Snape might act angry, but he cares for you. Do not doubt that."

Harry wasn't sure he believed him, but Lupin looked so earnest that Harry only nodded.

"Rest well."


	32. Chapter 32

Severus was in the middle of a lecture for his fourth year Hufflepuff class when there came a terrible shouting from the hallway.

"THE HEIR STRIKES AGAIN! IS IT BLACK? IS IT POTTER? NO ONE KNOWS! EVEN THE DEAD ARE NOT SAFE!"

Severus recognized the voice of Peeves and quickly walked to the back of the classroom, flinging open the door. Peeves bounced down the dungeon corridor, screaming and laughing. Flitwick was quickly following. Severus saw his pale face and closed the door behind him.

"What is going on?"

Flitwick gasped. "Another attack. Double this time. Need to get all the students back to their house dorms, immediately. I am here to take your class back. Dumbledore wants you on the grand staircase, where it happened."

"Who was it? How?"

"A second year Hufflepuff, Justin Finch-Fletchley. And the Gryffindor ghost. Both petrified…well, as much as a ghost can be petrified anyway. Now, quickly, you must go!" Flitwick rushed past him into the classroom.

Severus wasted no time, striding towards the stairs that led to all the upper floors of Hogwarts. Students were rushing around the hallways as he reached the main level. Lupin was trying to heard a group of first years past the grand staircase. "We will go this way. Follow me! Do not separate from the group!"

Severus pounded up the stairs and first found McGonagall, he face more pinched than usual. "Ah, Severus is here."

Severus looked past her to see the strangest sight of the Gryffindor ghost hanging suspended in the air. As if someone had tied him to the ceiling with a string. Just behind him was the stiff body of the Hufflepuff boy, eyes open, petrified.

And just beyond them, Harry was pressed against the wall, looking unblinking at the scene before him.

Severus went to his side and though Harry looked up at him, he did not speak. Severus glanced to Dumbledore and McGonagall. "What happened?"

McGonagall folded her arms. "A group of Ravenclaws came upon the three of them just minutes ago and quickly found me teaching down the hall."

Severus looked down. "Potter was here?"

"I…I didn't do anything! I just found them and…and I didn't know what to do!" Harry suddenly shouted, face very pale. Severus reached out, but the boy flinched away from him.

McGonagall stared at Harry, eyes hard with worry. "We are not accusing you, Mr. Potter. But can you tell us what happened? Did you see who attacked?"

Harry's eyes went slightly unfocused. "I was just…going to the library. I found them here. I swear that was all."

Dumbledore came to stand in front of them. "Harry," his voice was soft, gentle. "did you notice anything else unusual?"

Harry shook his head, a little too fast. Severus knew he was lying, but he also didn't believe that prying now would be useful. "I believe Mr. Potter should go visit the infirmary," he suggested.

Dumbledore hesitated, eyes lingering on Severus. But eventually he nodded. "And we should bring Mr. Finch-Fletchley there as well."

McGonagall quickly levitated the Hufflepuff. "And what of Sir Nicholas? I don't think any of our spell work will be effective."

Dumbledore nodded. "We will leave him here, for the moment. And once Filius is available, we can work to find a place for him." He looked to Severus. "Go with Minerva to the hospital wing."

Severus nodded and reached out to guide Harry by his shoulder. But the boy flinched away from him and stepped ahead. McGonagall led the way, levitating Finch-Fletchley. The halls were blessedly clear now and besides for a frazzled looking Flitwick rushing past them to aid Dumbledore, they met no one as they silently walked to the infirmary.

Harry stared straight ahead, breathing shallow. Severus could not tell if he was on the brink of a panic attack or in shock. He tried to remember the last time they spoke, a couple weeks now. The new semester had been busy for the both of them. Severus found that half his students seemed to have forgotten all potion basics over the long break and Harry had been busy with Quidditch practice and Lupin's private lessons.

"He's such a bright, eager student, Severus," Lupin had said just the other night. "It was quite a rocky beginning, but if he keeps up this effort, he'll have a better Patronus than most full grown wizards!"

Perhaps he should bring it up to Harry now, in an attempt to snap him out of his shock.

But they entered the hospital wing and Poppy flew down upon them all. She had been for warned of their arrival, and she immediately insisted on running a full scan on Finch-Fletchley. "Petrified…" she muttered, "precisely the same as Colin…" Her and McGonagall helped settle the stiff body on the bed, pulling the curtain around him. "And Sir Nicholas?"

McGonagall shrugged. "He looked to be petrified too. But how Black could petrify a ghost…"

Poppy nodded and turned to look at Harry. "Ah, Mr. Potter. Come, sit on this bed and let me have a look at you. I was told that you were the first to find Justin and Sir Nicholas?" She lit up her wand, waving it before his eyes.

"I didn't do nothing," he muttered, sounding exhausted. "I swear, I didn't…hurt them."

Poppy lowered her wand, smiling gently. "Of course you didn't. Whatever magic was performed on them is very dark and very powerful. No one suspects you."

Harry lowered his head, nodding. Poppy straightened, looking to Severus. "He is obviously stressed, but there is something else…a strange magical reading. It could be whatever affected those two is having a secondary effect on him. I would like him to stay for the rest of the afternoon and overnight, if that is permissible."

Severus suddenly realized that she was asking his permission to keep Potter overnight. And while McGonagall stood nearby, she didn't even look up at the strange idea. Severus nodded, in any case. "Yes, of course."

Harry suddenly looked panicked. "Wait! I need my stuff. My…my books!"

Severus raised an eyebrow. But if Potter was desperate for his school work, there should be no reason to keep it from him. McGonagall stepped forward. "I'll have your friends bring them down to you."

"I can go pick them up, right? Then I'll come right back here, okay?"

Severus folded his arms. "You are in no condition to be crawling up and down the castle." He conjured a quill and paper. "Just write down what you'll need and it will be brought to you."

Harry seemed resigned in his fate.


	33. Chapter 33

Hermione handed Harry his book bag. "Will you be in class tomorrow?"

He dug through the back, pushing aside his Transfiguration book. Tom's diary was at the very bottom, untouched. For some reason, it greatly relieved Harry. He had been talking more with Tom about the Chamber of Secrets and he was eager to pick up where they left off.

"Uh, yeah, probably." He didn't miss the look Hermione and Ron sent to each other. "What? What is it?"

"Oh, just wondering really…did they tell you why your here? You weren't hurt or anything, right?" Hermione asked.

Harry shrugged. "Pomfrey just wanted to keep me over, in case what ever happened to Justin and Nearly Headless Nick affected me."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Did it?"

"Dunno," Harry replied, putting down his bag. It was strange but he kind of wanted them to leave so he could talk to Tom. Ron and Hermione exchanged another look and Harry sighed deeply. "What is it?" he asked, irritated.

Hermione leaned forward. "It's just that…you haven't been looking for…anything, have you?"

"What? Like Sirius Black?"

Ron refused to look at him and Hermione turned pink. "Not…necessarily. It's just…you've been going off on your own a lot."

Harry folded his arms. "I'm not looking for trouble! Why does everyone think I do?"

"It's alright, mate," Ron jumped in. "I mean, we found the stone last year together. If you think you know where the Chamber is-?"

"Ron!"

"Well, we could support you, is all. But you've just been…really dodgy this year," he muttered.

"I've not been dodgy!" Both Ron and Hermione refused to look at him. "Okay, I've had a lot on my mind. But I'm not trying to ignore you!" He sighed deeply. "I'm really tired, okay? And Madam Pomfrey will come out and yell at us if you don't leave soon."

They both stood and Hermione managed to give him a weak smile. "If you're not in class tomorrow, you can copy my notes."

Harry grinned. "Thanks."

Ron elbowed her. "Hey, could I copy them too?"

She frowned at him as they walked out. "You'll be in class. Just take your own notes."

"But yours are so much _better_-"

The door closed behind them. Harry looked over to Madam Pomfrey's office, but she was still busy. The only other people in the room were Justin and Colin, but the curtains were drawn around their beds. Harry quickly pulled out the diary.

_There has been another attack_.

_Someone died?_

_No, petrified again. Everyone is starting to think its me. But I was just nearby, I didn't even see it!_

_Of course._

_It has to be Black. He's the only one who would do something like this._

Harry paused, looking up from the diary to the curtained beds. He knew Justin and Colin. They were both nice boys and Harry never cared about blood purity or anything like that. And whatever happened to them had to be very powerful. It had to be the reason why when Harry was going to the library, he suddenly got disoriented. Or, at least, he was pretty sure he had been going to the library.

He turned back to the diary.

_I still don't understand what you showed me before. I know Hagrid, he would never set some monster on the students._

_If you know him, then you would know his affinity for dangerous beasts. Even without his intention, they can get out of control._

Harry remember taking care of Hagrid's dragon last year. And the nasty bite Ron got.

_But how could Hagrid open up the Chamber of Secrets? He seems like the last person who would be the 'Heir of Slytherin'._

_I can only agree with that assessment. But once he was expelled, the attacks ceased. You must concede to that._

Harry had the impression that Tom was a little irritated with him.

_So no one found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets?_

_Well…while I did never catch Hagrid in the act. I think I have a good idea where the Chamber is located._

_Really?_

_But, of course, that was fifty years ago. And the circumstances are very different, it seems._

_Why do you think that? Hogwarts is ancient. How much has changed in only fifty years?_

_Different teachers, different students. And there is this mass murderer. I do not know Black's intentions._

_He's a murderer and traitor, what intentions could he have? What is the point of the Chamber if not to kill people?_

_The point of the Chamber is to purge Hogwarts of mudbloods and blood-traitors._

Suddenly, Harry felt a very strong chill. Though it the infirmary was still lit with bright candles, it felt dark and ominous. He didn't think Tom meant anything bad by using the word 'mudblood', probably was a common word, back when he went to school. No, it was something else making the hair rise on Harry's arms.

Then he realized he was hearing something. Something large and heavy, as if dragging itself across stone.

It was probably nothing, just a draft through one of the windows. The castle made all sorts of noises that were strange.

Then there was a voice, too soft to hear properly. But there, as if murmuring inside Harry's ear.

_Tom, have you ever heard voices?_

_Voices?_

_In the castle, I mean. A voice no one else could hear?_

_What does this voice say?_

_Terrible things. About killing, I think. Sometimes it's hard to hear._

_Harry, have you considered replying to it?_


	34. Chapter 34

Severus was becoming desperately tired of being awoken in the middle of the night. Especially after a long evening of combing the school, once again, for no trace of Black's comings or goings. And, it seemed, after stumbling into his dungeon in the early hours of morning, he was being roused again.

This time by a silver phoenix. It spoke in Dumbledore's voice. "My office, Severus. There has been another break-in." Then it disappeared. Severus desperately hoped that Dumbledore forgot to add that they also managed to capture Black and they could all stop playing this cat and mouse game for the rest of the term.

He seriously doubted it, however.

He quickly roused himself and realized that he had briefly fallen asleep completely dressed. It was no matter, he stepped into his floo and walked out into the chaos that was Dumbledore's office. The minister of magic, Cornelius Fudge, seemed to have decided it was high time he visit the school.

"This is outrageous!" he was shouting, "Two attacks in one night? Complete lack of security, ridiculous. This school needs to be locked down _now!_"

Dumbledore looked more weary than Severus felt. "The second incident was hardly an attack, no one was harmed. Not even the portrait."

"Hardly! Sirius Black walked into one of your dorms without opposition! And perhaps the only reason why there wasn't an 'attack' was because he happened to find the wrong boy to murder!"

Severus stepped forward. "Headmaster?"

Dumbledore glanced at Severus in relief. "Good. It seems that Black managed to acquire all the Gryffindor passwords. The temporary portrait, unfortunately, accepted the passwords and let him through, despite knowing exactly who he was."

"And Black did not harm anyone?"

"Well, young Ronald Weasley might tell you different. But he was awoken in the night with Black standing over him with a knife. He called for help and Black vanished. Professor McGonagall was first to arrive, but the only evidence she could find was a portrait severely lacking in common sense." He waved a hand. "But, no one was hurt. Frightened, of course. But Professor McGonagall has been relocating the Gryffindors to the Hufflepuff dormitory, for the time being."

"And Potter?"

"Still in the infirmary, as Madam Pomfrey would tell you."

Fudge refused to be ignored any longer. He slammed his palms on Dumbledore's desk. "If you would let the ministry guards in the school grounds, as you were instructed, we would not have any of these problems!"

"Do not presume 'your' Dementors would be of any more use than the fine staff here at Hogwarts. Besides, if they were able to perform their tasks, they should be able to catch Black before or after he breaks into the school."

"And what if Black is not leaving the school at all!" Fudge lowered his voice. "I've heard of the writing on the wall and the Chamber of Secrets. He could be there."

"The Chamber of Secrets is a legend."

"A legend that has killed before. And I know you were here to witness that."

Dumbledore narrowed his eyes. "Be that as it may. We are no closer to discovering the Chamber of Secrets than we were four centuries ago."

"Bring in the Dementors, they will be able to sniff him out!"

"And what if I refuse to have those creatures lurking my halls?"

Fudge stood straight, folding his arms. "Then I will have to relieve you of your post and shut down the school. This place is obviously unfit for underage wizards or for you to protect them."

The room became very still and silent. Dumbledore stared at Fudge, blue eyes piercing. But the minister did not back down. Eventually Dumbledore stood very slowly. "And how much time will you allow me?"

"If you do not comply with my request for the Dementors? Then you have forty-eight hours. But you will shut down this school…_immediately_." He stepped back, passing by Severus into the floo.

As he disappeared in a swirl of green flames, Severus approached Dumbledore, who was sitting back down slowly. "Headmaster?"

If Dumbledore looked weary before, he now looked beyond exhaustion. "He is right, I realize. The school isn't safe."

"Headmaster…are we shutting down?"

"Tonight? No, we will convene when this afternoon and discuss the plan of action farther. But…for the moment, please go to your Slytherin dorms and make sure it is secure. Then, go find Potter, make sure he is safe and well in the infirmary. Then, it will probably be time for us to begin moving students out." He reached up, pulling off his glasses. "It is gravely disappointing to me that I shall see Hogwarts closed under my supervision."

For a moment, he stared at his glasses, face contorted in something like fear and confusion. But it cleared as soon as it appeared and he looked back up to Severus.

"I will alert you to when we start moving students out."

Severus left.

The school was in chaos for most of the day. Once news broke that Hogwarts was closing down, instantly letters and howlers arrived from parents demanding to know where their child was and when to expect them. The Express was called in, but students still needed to pack their things or contact their relations in order to be picked up at the station.

The Dementors were pressed closer than ever, making it difficult to even get small groups of students off the school grounds.

It was late afternoon before Severus had enough time to go and track down Potter. When he entered the hospital wing, however, he was not there. Madam Pomfrey looked harassed.

"Left without my permission! Luckily, Minerva was passing and I informed her. She should have him tracked down by now."

Severus frowned and quickly left. He found McGonagall among the throng of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs outside the Hufflepuff common room.

"Weasley and Granger said they thought he was at Hagrid's hut. Said he probably didn't realize that Hagrid is down by the station now. They wanted to head there by themselves, they found he left his bag at the infirmary, but I told them to wait for Lupin to escort them."

Severus clenched his fists. "And where are they now?"

"Not being escorted by me," Lupin's voice appeared next to Severus. "Where are Granger and Weasley, Minerva?"

She stared at him. "I sent them to your office. Saw them there myself."

"Well, they are certainly not there now."

McGonagall closed her eyes briefly. "Gentlemen, do me the favor of tracking them down. I've already got enough chaos here at the moment."

Severus turned to Lupin. "You haven't seen them? Potter?"

Lupin rubbed his eyes. "Come, let us go at least check Hagrid's house."

Severus didn't wait for him, but immediately strode to the front doors. He was quite sure that Harry was twiddiling his thumbs in Hagrid's hut, totally unaware of the utter danger he was in. Severus was ready to throttle him as he opened the front doors, passed a croup of students heading towards the station and looked down to Hagrid's hut to find…

Weasley was being attacked by a giant black dog. Granger was shouting, but she was unable to get close, the dog pulling Weasley towards the Whomping Willow.

Severus swore and pulled out his wand, but the dog was out of range. And then it was gone, beneath the tree, with Granger miraculously following. Severus was sprinting towards them, even as he felt confusion washing over him. What was happening? Why were they going into the willow? Or being taken there by force. Where was Harry Potter?

Severus tripped over a discarded book bag. Looking down briefly, he identified it as Harry's. So he was here…somewhere. Kicking aside the materials, he continued towards the tree, dodging the flailing branches, searching for something to prod the knot at the base of the trunk.

"Severus!" Lupin shouted behind him.

But Severus managed to find a broken branch. It still took a moment to get close enough, but, just as he remembered from so many years, the tree froze mid-motion. Severus charged forward, ready to enter the tunnel at the base of the tree, but Lupin's hand closed around his elbow.

"Severus-!"

"What is it?" Severus bit back. This was not the time to stall. Lupin was holding up a bit of parchment, possibly from Harry's book bag.

"Severus, do you know what this is?"

Severus stared at it, blood thrumming through his veins. "Potter received it for Christmas. A joke or some other."

Lupin's eyes went very wide. "No…no this is not a joke. This is a _map_."

Severus was already trying to pull away from his grip. "What does that matter!"

Lupin was looking down at it, eyes very wide. "It shows…it shows…_Merlin_, we need to get down there!" He stumbled ahead of Severus, disappearing at the base of the tree.

Severus grit his teeth. What had gotten into the man? But he followed quickly, deciding that once he found Potter, most everything could be explained.

The tunnel was dark, and damp. He remembered the terror of the first times he entered it, hearing the terrible growling and snarling of a werewolf in transformation. Now that werewolf was before him, leading the way.

The Shrieking Shake was ominously silent. Lupin walked quietly, the parchment before him. The sun was beginning to set, but Severus did not light his wand. He did not know what danger could be present here. The furniture was coated in a thick layer of dust, still left in shambles after all these years.

There was a small murmur from upstairs. Then a scream. Granger, Severus recognized that scream.

Him and Lupin both charged up the stairs. Quickly finding the only lit room and thrusting open the door.

Inside, Granger and Weasley were huddled in a corner. Weasley's leg seemed to be bent at an odd angle and he was clutching something that seemed to be writhing and squeaking.

The other side of the room held a monstrous black dog. It was growling at them, hackles raised. Severus held out his wand. "Where is Potter?" he demanded.

Granger pointed at the dog. "Pro-professor he's…he's…"

"What?"

"He's Sirius Black!" Weasley shouted.

The dog launched itself at Severus, but Lupin dodged in front of him. He was a small, frail man, but he summoned enough strength to wrestle the dog to the floor. "Sirius!" he shouted. "Explain this to me!" He was waving the parchment around again.

Severus was dumbfounded, until the dog began to transform. Shedding the fur of a beast and turning into the ragged remains of a man Severus barely recognized. Twelve years in Azkaban had ruined the vision of a Sirius Black from Severus's school days. He was no longer a trimmed player, cocky and big-headed. He was hunched, hair lank and hanging to his back. But his eyes were the same, defiant and haughty, even now tinged with a crazed darkness.

Severus raised his wand, ready to apprehend Black. But Lupin was still clutching him. "Explain this!" He pushed the parchment into Black's chest. "How is Peter on the map?"

Severus wondered if the Womping Willow had struck Lupin in the head. "Lupin, stand aside!" he demanded.

Lupin ignored him. "Sirius!" he pleaded.

Black's eyes were trained on Severus' wand, but he slowly looked down to the parchment. "The map doesn't lie, Remus. He's here in this room."

"Where?"

Black pointed to Weasley and suddenly whatever he was clutching screeched that jump from his grasp. A rat?

"Scabbers!" Ron yelled.

Lupin reacted instantly. "_Stupify!_" The rat went limp in the middle of the floor.

"Lupin!" Severus pointed his wand at him. "I will subdue you."

Lupin was staring down at the rat, and still stood between Severus and Black. "Severus…Severus, we've got it all wrong. Sirius is innocent!" He pointed to the rat. "That is Peter Pettigrew!"

Severus narrowed his eyes. "You've gone mad."

"No!" Lupin stepped forward, holding out his wand as if to give it to Severus. "The map…the map," he turned and took it from Black and threw it to the floor. It was no longer blank, no showed any lines or writing. Instead it was coated in layers of lines and moving dots. Severus could not see the fine print from his position. "This map shows everyone in Hogwarts. It doesn't matter if they are invisible, taking a polyjuice potion, or…an animagus. It will reveal their true identity. I saw it, when we were by the Whomping Willow, that Sirius Black had dragged Ron Weasley and Peter Pettigrew into the tree. I wasn't sure how to believe it but…" He stared at the rat. "I've seen Peter's animagus form enough to recognize him."

Severus knew he should attack. Lupin was obviously under some sort of confundus charm or other curse. Granger and Weasley were still frozen in the corner and Severus did not know what sort of weapon Black might be carrying. He should attack, bring them to the castle and continue the search for Harry.

But the spell wouldn't come to his lips. Something inside him, more buried than his instincts, was screaming at him to hold back. To listen. Sirius Black was wanted. Sirius Black was dangerous. Sirius Black was…innocent.

Severus felt like he was losing his mind. "If that rat is Pettigrew, then reveal him."

Lupin clenched his jaw, nodding. He waved his wand, incanting softly. The rat twitched, then began to expand and morph. Then, before Severus' eyes lay Peter Pettigrew. He was fatter than he had ever been, losing his hair in patches. Severus felt bile rise up in his throat at the sight of the man. A reaction stronger than he anticipated.

Pettigrew was still twitching and slowly opened his eyes. He looked around to everyone in the room, beady eyes watery. His breathing was labored and he went very pale and he realized that he was no longer a rat.

"Hello, Peter," Black sneered from the corner. And it broke the silence of the room.

Pettigrew practically squeaked and darted for the door. Severus blocked the way. Lupin stepped forward. "Peter…we were wondering if you cold clear up a few details for us."

Pettigrew whirled around, throwing him down at Lupin's feet. "Remus, dear friend, don't believe anything that-that _murderer_ behind you says!"

"Murderer!" Black barked out a laugh. "You were the one that killed everyone in that street! Did he tell you, Remus, that he was the Potter's Secret Keeper? That he was the one who gave them to Voldemort?"

"Lies!" Pettigrew cried.

"Shut up, rat!" Black shouted. "Why else have you been hiding all these years?"

Pettigrew shrank as Lupin turned back to him, eyes narrowed. "Yes, Peter, why would an innocent man hide as a rat for over a decade?"

Pettigrew was noticeably sweating. "Fear! I knew Sirius would be after me one day! Pure fear!"

"Ha! But I'm not the one who blew up that street. I confronted you about the Potter's death and you decided to fake your own!"

Pettigrew was at Lupin's feet, pawing at his ragged robes. "Please, Remus. You can't believe him! He's a madman!"

Lupin's voice was strangely calm. "It is hard to believe an innocent man would chose to go into hiding when his 'attacker' was put into Azkaban."

"Sirius knows dark magic! Learned it from the Dark Lord! Such dark magic!"

Black stepped forward, crowding Pettigrew against the broken bed frame. "I wasn't the one who learned dark magic from Voldemort, Peter," he spat the name out. "You, on the other hand, always likde James and I because we were the best students in school. The most popular. You _leeched_ off of us, the only reason why you are an animagus at all, you _filth_." His voice became dangerously low. "But I guess you found someone else more powerful than James and I to lick the boots of."

Pettigrew was barely breathing, eyes skittering over everyone in the room. "You can't…you can't…" he breathed. "Sn-Snape, you can't believe this! He's…He's the one whose been opening the Chamber of Secrets! He's been attacking _children!_"

Black look startled. "The Chamber of Secrets? Are you mad? Do I look like some Heir of Slytherin?"

"The Black family has a 'proud' lineage of dark wizards, does it not?" Pettigrew sneered.

Black ran a hand through his hair. "I have no idea of this Chamber of Secrets. Or how the students at school are becoming petrified by it."

"Ah, so you know they were petrified!"

Severus was very tempted to mute Pettigrew, his high pitched voice was practically making him ill.

"Yes, I have broken into the castle on a few occasions. But it was only to find your ratty tail!" He suddenly looked to Lupin. "You can't believe I would attack any children?"

Lupin suddenly hesitated, not quite meeting his eyes. "You did destroy the portrait guarding Gryffindor."

"I was frustrated! And that was only a portrait, superficial damage. I would never harm a student intentionally."

Severus snorted loudly. "I'm afraid I don't quite believe you, Black. I do believe the last time I came to this place was a part of your scheming. And I do believe I was nearly mauled for the experience."

Lupin paled. Black grimaced, then turned to glare at him. "A fault of my youth. Surely you understand that we've all made rather…egregious mistakes." He eyed Severus' left arm. Severus felt like hexing him against the wall.

"He lies! He's a criminal!" Pettigrew screeched again.

Snape felt like he was fighting off a powerful migraine. His senses felt overloaded, making his disoriented. He closed his eyes, willing for clearer thoughts to come through. It was as if he was fighting off all his instincts and he didn't know _why_. What reason could he have to believe Sirius Black? What reason could he have to doubt Pettigrew?

But he did. Everything inside him did just that, the feelings foriegn and familiar. Like he had been here before. Like he knew this outcome. But that didn't make any sense.

He wondered where Harry was.

Lupin was next to him, hand on his arm. "Severus, I know this is…insane. But I believe we must listen to Sirius."

"The castle." Severus opened his eyes. "We will take them all back to the castle and alert Dumbledore of this."

Black clenched his fists. "You are not taking me back to Azkaban! Not until I commit the crime I was put there for!"

Lupin walked to Black, putting his hands on his shoulder. "Sirius. I believe you."

"What?" Black stared at Lupin in awe.

"Yes, but we need to bring you all back to the castle. I will speak to Dumbledore on your behalf." Lupin's for was soft, but strong. Suddenly, Black threw his arms around him, burying his gaunt face into Lupin's shoulder.

"Remus…" he whispered. Lupin looked over Black's shoulder to Severus, as if challenging him. Severus frowned, but as long as he was able to get everyone cooperation back to the castle and under the guarding of Dumbledore, he would deal with Lupin later.

Pettigrew was wailing. "I refuse to go anywhere with him! He'll kill us all!"

It nearly hurt Severus to speak through his clenched teeth, holding in the pain of his headache. "An innocent man would not fear the protection of Dumbledore."

"We'll never make it! You can't force me-!"

Without a word, he sprung up chains around Pettigrew, making wail some more. He didn't trust him not to run, though Severus could not identify quite why. Lupin stepped from Black's embrace and, almost gently, summoned chains around him as well. "A precaution," he murmured.

Severus almost wanted to chain up Lupin as well, but instead he decided to address the other two occupants in the room. Conjuring a splint around Weasley's bad leg, he asked, "Weasley, can you walk?"

Weasley was dangerously pale, but stood with the help of Granger. "Professor," her voice was soft. "What is going to happen?"

"Everyone will be reporting immediately to Dumbledore and it will be his at discretion to what happens next. Now, where is Potter?"

Granger struggled under Weasley's weight. "We don't know. He left his books at the hospital wing and we thought he was at Hagrid's. We even waited for a bit, but he didn't show up."

Severus resisted the urge to rub his eyes. How long had it been since Potter was last seen? They stepped from the Willow and it was already dark. Too many hours then.

The castle and grounds were suspiciously empty. And only when they entered the front doors were they assaulted by letters written in shining blood on the stone wall.

_His skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever._


	35. Chapter 35

Harry's head kind of felt like it was on fire. It took all his strength just to open his eyes. He was on something cold, hard, and wet. His arms and legs felt like lead and his throat was raw, as if he had been screaming.

What was he doing? How did he get here? Where was here?

He had been…in the hospital wing…then Madam Pomfrey mentioned something about…about leaving the school. Then there had been a voice. So soft that Harry had strained to listen. Then it became louder. Then it became…

How did he get here?

Harry forced himself to move his head. He had been staring at a stone ceiling, barely lit by green flames. He was in some large room, dark and dank like a dungeon. There was carvings in the wall. Snakes? Men? He couldn't quite tell.

"Ah…Harry, you're awake."

Harry looked to his other side and there was a boy standing there. A fifth year, probably, and a Slytherin. He was handsome and his eyes glimmered with some unnatural light. He smiled at Harry, crouching down next to him.

"Who-?" Harry coughed, his mouth tasted metallic.

"You should recognize me. We've met before."

Harry blinked. "…Tom?"

Tom smiled wider and, somehow, it looked more frightening than friendly. "In the flesh. Well, not exactly, I suppose."

Harry stared. Tom had shown him a couple memories through the diary. But those had been harder to make out and see the details. Now Tom was standing before him…though he did not seem quite solid. Looking down, Harry noticed that though he crouched on the stone floor, it didn't quite look like he was touching it. And the edges of his robe looks slightly transparent.

Harry swallowed. "How did you-?"

Tom waved a hand. "I'll explain that in a minute. But first, do you know where you are?"

"N-no?"

"The Chamber of Secrets! See, I told you I had a pretty good idea where it is." He stood up waving his arms. "And here, right behind you, is the face of Salazar Slytherin himself! I don't suppose you can stand up, but it's incredible!"

Harry tried to move again. He had some feeling in his arms and, through some effort, he was able to prop himself up. But Tom was right, standing seemed impossible.

Tom grinned down at him. "Well, you do have some strength in you yet. Of course, I should expect as much from the great Harry Potter."

"Tom…how did we get here? I was in…the hospital wing…"

Tom knelt again by his side. "You wanted to find the Chamber of Secrets, so I brought you here."

"But there's supposed to be…some sort of monster?"

Tom shrugged. "It won't come until called.."

Harry reached out, slightly startled to find his hand pass through Tom's knee. Though he didn't feel like a ghost, not that cold clammy feeling. But he had some…texture, somehow. "Tom, why am I so weak? Why can't I remember how we got here?"

"I'm afraid that's my fault. You see, in order to appear like this, I needed someone to help me. And you've been so helpful Harry. So helpful that I can appear like this now." His eyes were downcast. "But it seems your strength is not limitless." He looked at Harry, full of pity. "I'm sorry, but you'll soon die."

Harry felt himself trembling and he suddenly realized that it was very important that he try to stand. He pushed himself up on his arms, but his legs felt like sacks of rocks and just as useless. "Can't you stop it, Tom? Even for a little bit? We need to get out of here. There's a monster-"

Tom shook his head slowly. "I told you, the monster won't come unless called. And I have no intention of calling it now. Not when I've succeeded so beautifully of purging the school of the unworthy."

Harry's arms shook almost violently, but he was near a statue of a snake. He used it to brace himself more upright. "What? But…what do you mean Tom? You've…you've been…"

Tom stood spinning around the room with his arms open wide. "Magnificent, isn't it? Salazar Slytherin truly understood that magic is meant only for the worthy. Not mudbloods and blood-traitors. And his monster is so very efficient at taking out those filth. Now just about everyone in the school is gone. And when the new school year starts? Well, I'm sure only the purest of blood will be brave enough to reenter." He laughed, high pitched and echoing.

The laugh seemed to drain Harry, making him slump against the statue. "How could you-? You were…"

"Friendly? Charming? Of course, I was. I need the power of someone alive, you know. I managed to get into this school through a young girl. She was annoying and whiny," he sneered, then pitched his voice high in mocking. "_Tom, I hate having a large family. I can have nothing new. Tom, why are all my brother's so mean to me? Tom, I really, really like Harry, but I don't think he notices me at all!_" He laughed again. "But poor Ginny Weasley did give me the power to start me mission. Then she got interesting! _Tom, someone was attacked and I don't know where I was at the time! Tom, I found blood on my robes!_" He suddenly frowned. "But that tart threw me away, too afraid to continue."

"Ginny?" Harry gasped. "But…how?"

Tom wasn't listening to him. "But then," he turned. "_you_ picked me up. The famous Harry Potter, writing to me!" He clapped his hands together and it didn't make a sound. "Now, I had heard about you from Ginny. She told me _everything_ about the great Harry Potter. But I was…confused." He stepped towards Harry, leaning forward. He raised a hand, touching Harry's scar. It was a hot, awful sensation and it gave Harry an instant pounding headache. He flinched aside and Tom kept talking. "How did Harry Potter, an infant, defeat the greatest wizard of this age?"

Harry gasped through the pain and attempted to move away. "Why do you care about Voldemort? He was past your time."

Tom stood back, eyes suddenly dark. "Voldemort is my past, present, and future." He held up a wand, Harry's wand, and began to write in the air.

_Tom Marvolo Riddle_

Then the words swirled, rearranging.

_I am Lord Voldemort_


	36. Chapter 36

The were an odd group. Two men in chains, two men with wands trained on them, and two children. They stepped into the eerily silent castle, hesitating at the writing dripping from the wall.

Severus turned to Granger and Weasley. "Report to the infirmary."

Weasley was pale, but he visibly clenched his jaw. "Yeah, right. Harry is in trouble, we can't just-"

"Potter may have little or nothing to do with this." He waved at the wall. "Now, you must-"

"We are witnesses!" Granger piped up, pointing to Black and Pettigrew. "We need to also see Dumbledore and tell him what we saw!"

Severus felt ready to stupify them both. "Weasley is not capable of climbing that many stairs."

Pettigrew suddenly spoke. "I can take him to the hospital wing. Make sure he gets all fixed up!"

Severus cast a wordless spell, muting the man. He was not in the mood for second opinions. He heard Black snicker and he raised an eyebrow, daring him to test him farther. "Go _now_. If Madam Pomfrey releases you, then you may meet us at the headmaster's office."

The two children had matching expressions of stubbornness. But Lupin stepped forward, leaning down and smiling gently. "If we need you before then, we will be sure to bring the headmaster to the hospital wing."

They bent a little under his gaze. Granger adjusted her grip and began to haul Weasley back towards the infirmary. Perhaps with a little more haste that what was comfortable for the boy. Severus sighed, turning again and striding up the stairs. The sooner they found the headmaster, the sooner he could search for Harry.

_His skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever._

The boy was stupid enough to get caught in something like that. He turned to Sirius who was staring at him. "Do you believe now that I have nothing to do with the Chamber?" Black said.

"The writing proves nothing. Keep walking, Black."

But Black wasn't walking. He was stopped, staring past Severus. Severus frowned and looked over to find Lupin suddenly leaning against the nearest window, breathing heavily. His hands were shaking violently and his wand clattered to the floor. Severus took was step back and realized, with sudden horror, that a full moon was rising outside.

"The potion," he whispered. "You've had your potion."

Lupin suddenly dug his nails into his scalp. "Didn't…forgot. It's still…still in my office," he managed through clenched feet. "Run…_run now!_"

Black thrust out his shackles to Severus. "Release me!" Severus couldn't help but gape at him. Black's eyes were all earnest. "I know how to stop him. Did it for so many years. You must let me!"

It was Lupin who reacted. Seizing his wand from the floor and shouting a spell that nearly exploded Black's shackles away. It also managed to explode Pettigrew's. Black immediatly became a huge bear of a dog, launching himself at Lupin, pinning him to the wall.

Pettigrew also changed. So fast, he was a rat again, sprint down the hall.

"_Stupify!_" Severus shouted, but his aim was off. He swore, torn between chasing him and remaining to try to control the beast Lupin was about to become. Lupin was already growing, bones breaking loudly in the corridor.

Black pushed off from Lupin, snarling at Severus. He changed back. "Run, you fool! Don't let Peter get away from me again!"

Lupin let out a howl, reverberating against the stones. The sound was almost enough to make Severus quake in fear. But he had knelt before the darkest wizard of the age with less fear. "Even if you escape Black, I will hunt you down."

Black grinned. "If we are both alive by morning, then I will turn myself over to you."

Then he was a dog again, jumping back towards Lupin, who was now sprouting hair and an elongated nose. Severus turned and sprinted to where Pettigrew had run off. He knew he had little hope of finding the rat in the massive castle. So instead he ran to Dumbledore's office. He needed back up and he needed to know exactly how many other people were in the castle.

Dumbledore's office was a mess of teachers. Just about everyone was there, talking or arguing. Dumbledore nearly smiled as Severus entered. But Severus didn't have the time. "Lupin is transforming without the aid of wolfsbane. Sirius Black, an animagus dog, is attempting to subdue him and Peter Pettigrew is an animagus rat and currently trying to escape the castle."

There was total silence. The sight of so many wide eyes staring at him was almost comical. Severus only looked to Dumbledore.

"Granger and Weasley, if they have any reason, are in the infirmary. Is there anyone else in the castle?"

Dumbledore took a moment to find his words. "Severus…are you quite sure you are feeling-?"

"I _do not_ have time to question my sanity. It will be shown momentarily when you come across a _werewolf_ roaming your halls. Possibly being accompanied by a giant black dog. Now tell me, _where is Harry Potter?_"

Dumbledore suddenly grew somber. He turned to the rest of the room. "Stay here, my office is well protected. Severus, come with me." Everyone made some halting arguments, but Dumbledore's eyes silenced them all.

He exited, Severus following. Once they had exited the stone staircase, he gave a quick word with the Gargoyle out front.

"There, they will not be able to leave for some time." He looked to Severus. "I suppose we've both some explanation to give. But where is Lupin currently?"

"I left him on the third floor. Black insisted that he knew how to deal with a werewolf. I had little other choice but to find you."

Dumbledore immediately began striding in that direction. "We must attempted to lure him outside. He can run wild in the Forbidden Forest."

"Headmaster. Where is Potter?"

Dumbledore frowned, blue eyes darkening. "Have you seen the writing on the walls?"

Severus felt like the wind was knocked from him. "So he is in the Chamber?"

"Yes, and if you were occupied with Black for the past hour or so, which I suspect you were. Then it is very likely that Black has not been opening up the Chamber."

Severus did not know if that was enough evidence. They didn't know when Harry disappeared, after all. "Have you any way to reach him?"

"None, truly. We have tried-" his words were cut off by a terrible howling.

"He's climbed to the fifth floor." Severus murmured dryly.

Dumbledore drew his wand. "He sounds like he's in the west end."

Severus drew his own wand. A single werewolf may be strong and fast, but they didn't have any intelligence, just pure animalistic rage. With a proper strategy, one could be taken down easily. But they were also the cramp corridors of a castle. Complete with moving staircases and rooms and hallways that tended to shift during in opportune times.

"Perhaps you should have not locked the other teachers in your office," Severus commented.

"More people will only increase the frenzy of the werewolf, as you well know." Dumbledore checked around a corner. The howls and snarls were ringing all around them and it was impossible to tell just where the werewolf was. "And Remus would be glad to know that less people were put into danger because of him."

"We could always just put him down now, save us the trouble every month," Severus muttered.

Dumbledore practically smirked at him. "Your words lack in true anger, Severus. I know you would much rather brew a wolfsbane potion for Remus every month than condemn him to death." He sighed. "Besides, I do believe Harry would miss him almost as much as you."

Severus was denied a response by a sudden, higher pitched yelp. And a large black dog skittered up the stairs before him. Transforming instantly, Black panted, almost doubled over. "Can't…can't get him contained…think he…hates the close…quarters of the castle…"

Dumbledore stared at Black for a moment, and Severus wondered if he managed to make him speechless. "Sirius Black," he stated.

Black suddenly straightened. "Give me a chance. I'll show you I'm innocent, but…" There was a low growl from around the corner and Black was suddenly the giant dog again, barking at them.

Lupin rounded the corner, letting out a loud howl that rattled Severus' bones. Werewolves did not look precisely like normal wolves. The back was hunched awkwardly as they fight to stand on two legs. The snouts were longer, full of jagged teeth dripping in foaming saliva. And a werewolf was huge. Lupin, the man, was just below average height, only made more small by his placid demeanor. But here, in the school hallway, he was filling up the walls. One massive paw clawed against a stone wall, hind legs bent awkwardly. The black eyes looked straight to Severus and Dumbledore.

Black barked and jumped, sinking his teeth into Lupin's neck. Black practically dangled from the floor, but it seemed to have little effect as Lupin lazily batted him away. He wasn't interested in the dog, strange as it was, eyes still fixated on the two humans.

"_Stupefy!_" Dumbledore and Severus shouted almost simultaneously. The spells rebounded off the thick hide, making the werewolf snarl at them. But it did little other effect. It crouched then leapt towards them. Severus instinctively gripped Dumbledore's arm and pulled him from the gaping jaw. Black jumped up Lupin's back, ripping at one shoulder. It got enough of the werewolf's attention to turn slightly.

"_Incendio!_" Severus shouted, wand shooting out the high flames. Lupin screeched, throwing Black away and retreating down the hallway. Severus pushed his flames up and over Black to the running werewolf. There was a loud bang as Lupin met the stairs.

They all ran forward. He had fallen down nearly three flights of stairs. Lupin was crumbled at the bottom, moaning and twitching, but he didn't seemed to be getting up anytime soon. Black transformed again. "He'll be up again. Break every bone in his body and he'll still chase you."

"_Incarcerous!_" Dumbledore boomed and Lupin was suddenly bound in silver chains. They scorched his flesh and he howled, but seemed unable to move. Dumbledore sighed, slowly lowering his way. "I'll be able to levitate him out with him immobilized with these. I'll have to apologize to Remus tomorrow."

Black looked down the stairs as well. "He would never blame you."

"Headmaster! AHH!" There was a scream and they all turned to find Hermione Granger having just skidded to a halt at one of the stairwells. She was staring down at the werewolf on the floor just below her.

"Granger!" Severus snapped. "You shouldn't be here!"

She turned and sprinted up the stairs towards them, ignoring Severus. "Headmaster! He's innocent!" She pointed at Black. "We found Peter Pettigrew and …and where is he?"

Black looked at Severus. "Yes, where did that rat run off too?"

Severus sneered, motion to the writhing werewolf. "I do believe that you were there to witness the chaos that allowed Pettigrew to escape."

Dumbledore put a hand between them, silencing the impending argument. "Time is pressing, but I do believe we have a minute to sort this out. Miss Granger, can you explain to me exactly what transpired this evening up to this point?"

Severus felt a little peeved that Dumbledore had singled out Granger when she should be in the hospital wing at this point. But she quickly opened her mouth, and like she was reciting a textbook, quickly apprised him of the situation from when her and Weasley left Hagrid's house to when she appeared now before them.

Afterward, she looked down. "That is Professor Lupin, isn't it?" She nodded slightly to herself. "I thought as much, but I didn't have any proof."

"Yes," Dumbledore said slowly. He turned to Black. "It is a compelling story, but we are lacking in a key player to prove your innocence."

Black squared his shoulders and clenched his jaw stubbornly. "I have witnesses."

"A werewolf, two children, and an ex-death eater." Dumbledore had the grace to send an apologetic nod to Severus. "It will not convince many in the ministry…but, you have saved our lives from a rampaging werewolf. So, for now, you'll have my protection in return."

Black's face lit up, and he almost smiled. "Thank you," he breathed.

Behind Dumbledore's back, Severus glared at Black, who only glared back at him. One young girl's testimony and Dumbledore was won over by Black's story.

Granger stepped forward. "Harry's in the Chamber of Secrets, right?"

Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, but by whose power we are still uncertain."

She suddenly looked to Black. "But that map that Professor Lupin had…he said it showed everything in Hogwarts. Does it also have the Chamber of Secrets?"

Black reached into his ragged robes and pulled the parchment from it. He held it out. "Someone with a wand say 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good'."

Granger immediately obeyed, gasping slightly as the blank page became overrun with lines. The school was meticulously drawn out and Severus quickly spotted their group, one of the few people in the castle. Even Lupin was written just below them, despite the fact he was currently very much not Remus J. Lupin at the moment.

Harry Potter was not located on the map.

"We—I mean, James, Remus, Peter, and I—all made the map while we were at Hogwarts. And though we prided ourselves on knowing every inch of Hogwarts, it is limited to what we had discovered. And we had never found anything like the Chamber of Secrets."

"Why isn't he here?" Granger moaned. "Is he not even in the castle? But I was so sure…"

Severus stared at her. "What have you been up to?"

She flushed pink. "Well, nothing…bad or anything. It's just that Harry was…getting kind of weird about the Chamber of Secrets since, well, Christmas. But he refused to tell me or Ron about it. So I've been doing some research…and, well, I think I might know what the monster could be and how it could be traveling the school."

Severus and Black gaped at her. Dumbledore looked mildly interested. "Truly? Enlighten us then."

She inhaled deeply. "A basilisk. Through the plumping."

There was a brief moment of silence and Severus fought with himself to not outright reject her idea. "And you basis for this assumption?"

"Well…a basilisk can kill someone with their gaze, right? But no one has died. But Colin Creevy did look at it through his camera lens. And Justin through Nearly Headless Nick. And Nick, well, you can't kill a ghost, right? That's why they were all petrified instead of…dying. And then, Hagrid's been complaining all term about how his roosters are disappearing, which their crow can kill a basilisk. Then…then Harry's been hearing these voices in the walls and once he told us he was a parseltongue, well…what better monster for Salazar Slytherin than a giant snake?"

It was a rather stunning deduction, Severus had to admit. Harry had admitted once to hearing a voice, but Severus had brushed it off as a nightmare. He had never thought that Harry was hearing a voice, a voice that only he could understand…

"But, the plumbing, why do you figure that?" Black asked.

"A guess, really. It had to be traveling in the walls somehow. And, at the scene of the first attack, that bathroom was completely flooded. I didn't think of it before, because that's moaning Myrtle's bathroom and she always floods the toilets. But I didn't have any other connection."

Severus suddenly turned to Dumbledore. "Headmaster, do you remember exactly how Myrtle died?" For all his years at Hogwarts, he had never paid attention to her, being completely uninterested in some sobbing ghost girl.

Dumbledore's eyes were narrowed in though. "She…she died many years ago…I had never thought that…but it makes perfect sense." He looked up. "Severus, go there and question her. She might be the key to finding the Chamber."

Severus was ready to turn and sprint, but Granger and Black both stepped forward, protesting.

"But I can be of use! I've spent hours researching basilisks!"

"Even if the map doesn't show them, I know Hogwarts better than anyone here. If we are in the right direction, I can be sure to find the entrance!"

Dumbledore put a hand on Severus' arm. "Do take them, will you? I've a werewolf to manage at the moment."

Severus sneered. "We could always lock them away somewhere for the time being." Dumbledore raised an eyebrow and Severus shrugged him off. "As you wish," he spat and turned and sprinted down the hallway, uncaring if Granger and Black could keep up.


	37. Chapter 37

"No!" Harry screamed, dodging away from Tom. He fell to his knees, unable to take more than a few steps. "You're not…you can't be…"

Tom casually stalked towards him, tapping Harry's wand. How did he get that? How was he solid enough to hold a wand, but not touch Harry's forehead?

"Why? Because I was kind to you? Because I listened?" He leaned down and his eyes almost seemed red. "I've listened for many years, Harry. I've listened to the cries of my people, good wizarding folk who are oppressed to secrecy. For what cause? To spare the muggles? They are not worthy of such consideration!"

Harry crawled away. He needed to get out of here. There had to be a way out… "You're wrong…muggles aren't worthless."

Tom cocked his head. "Truly? And you think that of your aunt and uncle?"

Harry froze, his chest clenching painfully. He had never written to Tom about the Dursleys. Right? "What…what are you talking about?"

"Oh, don't be so obtuse. I took you into my memories, did you really think I couldn't see yours? So unshielded, close to the surface, what as if you wanted me to see their cruelty." He stepped in front of Harry, kneeling down. "I want to purge the world of creatures like them. Is that not a noble cause?"

"N-not everyone is like them!"

"Oh really? Do you know of any muggles then, personally, who aren't selfish, greedy, ignorant, and cruel?"

Harry didn't. He had never had any friends in primary school, nor did the teachers ever treat him well either. But maybe he would have some muggle friends, if Dudley hadn't chased them all away. Maybe he would have had nice teachers, if his magic didn't make him cause trouble.

Tom was staring at him, eyes drooped in pity. "Oh, Harry. I always knew we had this connection. Remember, the first time we talked, and you confided that you wished you could always stay at Hogwarts? If there were no muggles, no mudbloods, no blood traitors insisting that you play some game that has no relevance to you, then you could always stay here. You could completely avoid the muggle world, because there would be no muggle world." He suddenly smirked. "Of course, no you have no choice but to remain at Hogwarts forever. Once you stop struggling, your strength will fail and I'll have enough power to leave on my own. And you, well your body, will remain here forever."

"No!" He shouted again, but he couldn't even lift himself back to his feet.

"Harry, you've no choice. Ever since you gave me enough power that I could possess you to attack that mudblood and that ghost, you've had no choice."

"Justin-?" Harry gaped.

Tom blinked. "What? You thought I just possessed Ginny? She fed me very well, but she had not your power. From that moment when you called the monster to attack that filth, I knew my destiny as the heir of Slytherin was fulfilled."

The floor was cold on Harry's skin and he was damp and tired and his head was pounding. He slumped against the floor, pressing his burning forehead to the cold stones. How could he attack Justin? How could he attack anyone? He closed his eyes.

Tom was still nearby. "You've no choice, Harry. I've already won. There is nothing you can do now. Give in, leave this all behind. I know your struggles, Harry. I know your hate and your fear. You can give it all up now."

Harry remembered lying under that bed, breathing in the dust and and feeling the edges of the worn wooden floor. He remembered looking up at Hedwig, molting, covered in her own droppings, and starving, like he was. He had the sudden, strange hope, that she was safe. That when the danger in the castle was close, she had flown away.

_If you can see me, please help me_.

He had heard his mother screaming, dying for him. Why would she do that? Why would she leave him like that? He remembered her picture. She had looked so happy and carefree. Would he get to see her like that now?

_Does it hurt?_

_Quicker and easier than falling asleep._

Harry was so tired. He couldn't feel the cold or the dampness. He couldn't feel his arms or legs or his headache. He was floating. Unattached and unburdened. There wasn't even darkness here. It was nothingness.

…

…

…_Harry…_

…_I've died…a hundred lifetimes for you…_

…_and I would die a hundred times again…just to…_

…_see you live…_

Harry suddenly remembered Lupin's lessons. A spell to conjure of guardian of happiness and goodness. A guardian to chase away all fears.

Someone had come for him, when Harry met the troll in the girl's bathroom last Halloween. Someone had come for him when his skin felt like it was fire and Voldemort screamed for the stone. Someone had come for him when he had been lying under that broken down bed. Someone had found him.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM!_"

Harry's voice echoed around the Chamber, a mix between a scream and a cry. His arm was stretched out, wand suddenly in his hand. Tom looked startled, confused. Hand still reaching out, surprised that Harry had suddenly moved and seized his wand back.

But, the most incredible part, was the jet of silver erupting from the wand tip. Stronger than Harry had ever seen at his lessons. Instead of a weak miss, it was a stream, swirling and morphing into…

…an owl, white as snow. She was bigger than she was in reality and her wing beats fluttered the air around Harry and Tom. She circled above them once, then dove straight for Tom, long talons before her. Tom skittered away, keeping his arms up.

"What is this…a Patronus? How do you expect-?" But his words were cut off as the owl swooped down again and he ducked.

Finally she circled back to Harry, landing on his shoulder, featherlight. The sensation sent a flood of warmth into Harry's chest. He stared at her, mesmerized by the shining silver, still swirling to make up her body. "Hedwig-?" he gasped. She hooted, ethereal and familiar at the same time.

"I'm no Dementor! That cannot harm me!" Tom shouted, though he remained at the other side of the room.

Harry felt strong enough to stand and found himself managing it without trouble. "Then why are you so afraid?" He pointed his wand and the Hedwig Patronus flew at him again. Her talons went straight through Tom's flesh, but he screamed, trying to bat her away. Every time she managed to touch him, Harry felt a little power strength in his body.

Tom sprinted to the giant head of Salazar Slytherin. "Well, you just won't give up, will you! Fine…_our work isn't done!_" His voice changed and Harry realized he was talking in Parseltongue. "_There is another traitor to destroy! Come, beast of Slytherin! Rise and kill again!_"


	38. Chapter 38

"Oh, it was just _aweful_. Here I was, crying to myself because Johnny Hanbroke said my new glasses made me look like blind gremlin, when someone came into the bathroom." Myrtle motioned with one hand towards the door. "And then he started talked to himself. And I was so ready to yell at him because he was a _boy_ in the _girl's_ bathroom. But then he…" she frowned. "He started talking strange. Like hissing or growling? And when I opened the door, well, I died." She smiled, almost cheerily.

Severus crossed his arms, suddenly understanding from this brief conversation why no one used this bathroom. He also kept one eye on Black, who was prowling around the bathroom, muttering at the map.

"But did you _see_ anything?" Granger pressed.

"Yes…two, large _yellow_ eyes. _Staring_ at me."

"Yes, but _where_?" She waved an impatient hand. "The door? The sinks? The ceiling? Where did it come from?"

Myrtle drew herself up, frowning darkly. "Well, I don't know! I was in tears! And then I _died_. Do you think I just dwell on that!?"

Granger's cheeks were nearly red. "Yes, I do!"

Myrtle gave a loud wail and flew down into the toilet she had been sitting on, making a loud splash and completely soaking Granger. Granger gave a loud huff and turned around to ring out her bushy hair in the mirror.

Severus left her, stepping next to Black. "We are getting nowhere. Have you made any effort?"

Black sent him a glare, but held up the map. "When we made this, there were a lot of complications. Rooms and stairwells tend to shift. Some rooms disappear for days, years even, then reappear. We wanted the map to show it all and we wanted it to anticipate the changes that might occur over time."

"Over time? What did it matter once you graduated?"

Black gave a wolfish grin. "It's a legacy! A priceless tool for any prankster or marauder that would come after us. That's why we left in the castle to begin with." He frowned, looking down on it. "I stumbled into it during my first break in. I have no need of it, having used it for so long, but then I thought…legacy. Perhaps the Potter here now had inherited some family traits."

Severus hated to think how much Harry really had James' tendency to sneak around after hours and put his nose into private conversations or generally just get into mischief. "You gave it to him for Christmas."

He shrugged. "I'm unfortunately lacking about eleven years in gift giving. A terrible oversight for a godfather."

Severus' hand was suddenly gripping Black's wrist. "You are _not _Harry's godfather."

Black stared down at his hand. Severus could feel all of Black's bones. There was no muscle or fat on the man. "What's Harry to you, Snape?" He probably meant his words to be a sneer, but he sounded more curious than biting.

Snape shoved his arm away. "Does that map have any use or not? Because I would dearly like to shackle you again."

Black stared at him for a moment longer, but then went back to the map. "In any case, it order to make the map adaptable, even with us not around, it tends to sense things around the castle. Looking for discrepancies in the magical encoding. When it finds one, it attempts to solve it. For the most part, this involves adding new student names to appear. But, if it should encounter something it won't understand. Say, an entire chamber underground that we have set no parameters for, there should be some visible…glitch."

"Glitch?" Granger stepped forward, putting a hand on Black's elbow to get him to lower the map to her level. "That sounds like muggle computers."

Black looked at her hand like it was more frightening than Severus' grip had been. "Computers?"

She rolled her eyes. "Never mind. So, if we think this bathroom has a connection to the Chamber of Secrets, we should notice something in the area?" She pointed to the map.

"Y-yes, but it's not so simple. If it was obvious, James and I would have flagged it when we were still in school. Whatever is concealing the Chamber is probably concealing it from the map."

Granger sighed. "Maybe if you speak to it in Parseltongue it would show up."

Severus suddenly remembered how Harry had hissed at the snake on Christmas. The sound had been quite prominent in his nightmares for the past month. He closed his eyes trying to remember. Then he opened his mouth and less out a low hiss. There was a sudden, ominous rumbling around them. The very walls shook and the water, still flooding the floor, rippled violently. Granger squeaked, gripping the edge of Severus' sleeve.

But the rumbling stopped and the bathroom was still again. Severus and Granger looked around the walls, but it seemed that nothing changed.

"Ah!" Black suddenly exclaimed. "It reacted! Do it again. Give me your wand, I need to calibrate it."

Severus gripped his wand tighter, but Granger almost instantly handed over hers. He was about to reprimand her for giving dangerous weapons to convicted criminals, but Black was nudging him.

"Hiss again. Whatever it was made the map react."

Severus looked to the walls, but made the hissing again. There was no rumbling, but Black's grin turned even wider.

"I can't pinpoint it exact but…" He walked to one of the sinks. "Here…here it reacts the strongest. Possibly a thin layer in the magic."

Granger crouched by the sink. "There are snakes engraved on the handles. But nothing here looks like a door…"

Severus pulled her up roughly. "Stand back, both of you."

Oddly enough, Black listened and instantly pulled Granger with him to the far corner. Severus braced himself, pointing his wand at the sink. "_Confringo!_" The sink exploded, sending bits of porcelain across the floor, leaving the exposed charred wall. "_Confringo!_" He didn't know if the Chamber entrance was even here. He didn't know whatever magically protection that kept it hidden for thousands of years could be stripped by force. "_Confringo!_" But he would blow a crater into this bathroom in order to find out.

Tile and glass were exploding across the bathroom. Severus could feel the shards grazing against his robes and cutting the skin on his cheeks and hands. He kept his wand raised, ready to let the curse fly again. But the dust settled and there was a noticeable hole in the wall.

Severus stepped forward, looking down into a large pipe, much larger than what would be required for a normal bathroom sink. He half wondered to himself, did Salazar Slytherin know his heavily guarded Chamber of Secrets would one day be concealed by a girl's bathroom? He nearly laughed. Of course, Slytherin was a brilliant bastard, probably figure no one would guess the entrance was here.

Severus felt Black and Granger edge in next to him. "Do you think it's safe?" Granger whispered.

"It doesn't matter," Severus murmured. Then he turned quickly, disarming Black and putting him constricting shackles again. Black fell against the floor with a grunt and opened his mouth to protest. But Severus muted him as well. Granger looked at him with aghast.

"B-but he just helped us!"

Severus stowed her wand in his robes. "He's helped me, yes. And I also don't wish to be in another life threatening situation with him today again." He glared down at Granger. "Without a wand, I suggest you don't follow me. Do not think I won't immobilize you if I must."

Granger still looked stubborn, but she took a step again. "I'll get Dumbledore." He didn't know if that was a threat or not. Severus shrugged and proceeded to jump down the gaping hole. He did not know how much time they had or if it was already too late. But he was wasting no more time.


	39. Chapter 39

There was a horrible rumbling in the Chamber. Rocks fell from the ceiling and the floors shook. The mouth on the massive Slytherin head gaped open, rocks screeching against each other. The Hedwig patronus flew back to Harry's shoulder. Tom's laugh was piercing throughout the chamber and Harry saw something massive coming towards the dim light through the open mouth.

…_don't look…don't look at the eyes, Harry…_

A voice whispered in his ear and Harry wondered if his patronus had talked to him. But he closed his eyes, instinctively feeling it was right. A heavy body fell onto the floor, sliding on the stone and through the water. It was…a snake? A giant snake?

"_Kill the boy!_" Tom hissed.

Harry turned and ran, opening his eyes as he dodged behind a statue. He had his wand. What spells did he know? Tickling Charm? Engorgement Charm? Those sounded useless.

The snake hissed nearby and Harry sprinted again. There were some tunnels, past the main chamber. Were they safe? Could the snake cut him off there?

He could feel it, like a prickling on his neck. It was right behind him. He turned, squeezing his eyes shut and lifting his wand.

"_Diffindo!_"

There was a horrible scream, inhuman and strange. Harry felt something warm and sticky soak into the fabric of his robes. He turned and ran wildly, keeping an arm outstretched so he wouldn't run into a wall. Far enough away, he opened his eyes and felt the Hedwig patronus fly off again.

"_You might have blinded him, but he can still smell you!_"

Harry automatically turned and found himself staring straight at a giant snake. He froze, feeling his heart slow at the mistake. But though the head turned and looked at him, he did not perish, as all his instincts cried out. His clumsy spell had managed to blind the monster.

Harry gripped his wand a little tighter. He was still alive. He could do this. He was still alive.

Tom was screaming again, Harry's patronus swooping over him. But there was a strangeness to his movements, like he wouldn't quite move far from a single spot. Then Harry saw it, lying inconspicuously on the ground, the diary. Tom said he couldn't leave the Chamber until Harry died. Could he not completely separate from the diary yet?

The snake had recovered, however, and was now slithering towards Harry. Harry quickly ran back to the main area of the chamber, but the snake could hear him and it was too fast. "_Incendio!_" he tried and the snake reared up at the flames, but otherwise didn't seem to be hurt. "_Diffindo!_" But the spell was short range and Harry didn't know if he had the guts to try and get so close again. He was running around wildly, just trying to keep out of range as the snake lunged again and again.

"_Fool! Did you forget that I have the power over you?_"

Like he had been punched in the gut, Harry felt winded, his legs lagging. Tom was draining him again. The Hedwig Patronus flew back to him, but she was fading fast. Harry couldn't feel her as she perched again on his shoulder. He stumbled around a statue, hearing the snake's teeth scraping against it.

"_Incendio!_" He tried again and though the snake backed away, Harry fell to his knees. His legs felt numb again and his hand was shaking, trying to hold onto his wand. "_Incendio!_" The snake retreated from the flames, hissing violently.

"_He is too weak to hurt you. Attack! Attack!_"

Harry turned and saw that the Hedwig Patronus was disappearing now. Only her large silver eyes remained, and for a moment, they looked nearly green. A shining, warm green. Then they were gone. Without her presence, Harry felt like it was truly hopeless. His wand clattered to the floor and he panted heavily. His robes were weighed down by the snake's blood and he didn't think he could stand again.

"_Attack! Kill him!_" Tom kept shouting.

Was it really over? Had he really used up all his second chances? The snake was practically roaring behind him. Would it be over quickly? He looked down at the floor, seeing the diary within reach. But what could he do? He didn't think he had the strength to cast another spell.

"_KILL!_"

"_No,_" Harry whispered, feeling his voice come out as a hiss. "_No. Stop._"

He looked up, surprised to find the snake was hesitating. It bobbed in place, as if trying to distinguish where the voice was coming from. Then Harry remembered what Tom had said. If he had possessed Harry to attack Justin, then the snake had listened to Harry before, right? It had obeyed his commands before.

"_No!_" he shouted, voice cracking. "_Back away!_"

The snake actually began to turn around and Tom was screaming. "_What are you doing?! Attack the boy! Attack!_"

The snake hesitated, but kept moving away. Maybe it was because Harry had truly spoken to it before. Maybe it was because Tom was still not fully physical. But Harry felt the edges darkening in his vision. He wouldn't have much time before he passed out and then it would be over. He had to do something now, while he had a little control.

He reached out and took the diary, looking up to see Tom staring down at him. His face, which had seemed so handsome and friendly, now twisted with anger and disbelief.

"_Attack the diary_," Harry could only whisper. But he held it up and felt the rush of the snake lunging towards him. A tooth sank deep into the cover of the diary, making it spew torrents of black ink. Tom screamed and his image began to rip apart like paper.

But Harry also felt the prick of a fang sinking into his shoulder.


	40. Chapter 40

The slide down the tunnel had taken minutes, but they dragged on in the almost total silence of the ride. He was traveling so deeply beneath Hogwarts that he wondered if this was even considered to be a part of the school at all. Severus began to wonder how he was going to climb his way back up, when the tunnel started to taper off.

Then he heard the screaming. The hissing and crashing and explosions.

Severus hit the ground running, sprinting down the nearly pitch tunnel, just trying to get closer to the sounds. He didn't even bother lighting up his wand. Uncaring as he crunched over the bones of something he couldn't identify. He could understanding nothing in all the screaming and hissing that only became more deafening as he ran.

But then it stopped to almost a total silence.

Severus felt like his panting was deafening as he skidded to a stop, finding the narrow tunnel opening up in a wide chamber, lit with bright green flames.

"Harry!"

In the center of the room was Harry, crouched over himself, arm raised above his head. And above him…a basilisk. Over fifteen meters long with the head the size of a small muggle car, it had it's teeth sunk into Harry's shoulder, and something that he was holding.

With a terrible snap, it wrenched it's head away, breaking off one fang in Harry's shoulder. It's other fang was still pierced with…a book? It was spraying black ink everywhere, coating Harry in it, though his shoulder bled freely through it.

The basilisk turned to Snape, but it's eyes were marred, completely ripped. It had no power to kill or petrify him. Severus raised his wand, ready to kill the beast though he had no idea what spell could kill a basilisk. But the killing curse seemed right for the moment.

"No," Harry's weak voice reverberated in the empty chamber. Then he hissed, low and dwindling, like a soft exhale.

The basilisk wavered then. Its head bobbing in confusion. Then it turned to Harry, who still hissed under his breathe, and lowered its head. Miraculously, it began to shift away, pooling itself into a corner. It rested its head on its scales, black tongue flickering, but otherwise didn't move into an aggressive stance.

Severus only hesitated for a moment, but decided that without an immediate threat, he should go to Harry first. His feet splashed in the water clogged with ink and blood. Harry turned to look at him, green eyes dimming. Severus knelt beside him, examining the fang still lodged in his shoulder.

"Snape. It was…the d-diary…he was-was…"

"Quiet," Severus snapped. "You will explain this all to me later. We need to get you treated immediately." Should he pull it out? But that would only cause Harry to bleed more. But it was embedding the poison…

It wouldn't matter. The basilisk venom would kill Harry long before he could bled out. There had to be a way. Maybe if he put the boy in some sort of stasis, to slow the progress-

"Sn-Snape." Harry was reaching for him and Snape took his hand, examining him still.

"Are you injured anywhere else?"

He didn't answer, but tears were streaming down his cheeks. Severus automatically reached out, wiping away the ink and the blood. Harry leaned forward pressing his face into the juncture between Severus' neck and shoulder. "I'm scared," he whispered, voice so weak and faint. "I'm s-so scared."

Severus wrapped his arms tightly around Harry. He stared at the fang, still sticking out of his back. It would only hurt the boy to take it out now. He could feel Harry's arms, attempted to grip him, but they lacked strength. He was fading almost desperately fast. Severus looked up to the basilisk, glaring. He would destroy that creature.

For now, however, he didn't think he could let Harry go.

Harry was trying to murmur something, but Severus only put a hand to his head, threading his fingers through the matted hair. "Hush. Be still." He tilted his head down, pressing his forehead to Harry's shoulder. He felt like something inside him was ripping apart like threads strained too far. He had to do something. There had to be something he could do.

But all he could feel was the warmth seeping out through Harry's clothes. His stuttered, uneven breaths, that grew fainter and fainter. He was in pain, and Severus was useless to stop it.

…_I asked you to save Harry…you promised to save Harry…_

A memory from a dream, it felt like. But everything was feeling a little unreal. Severus was crouched in the Chamber of Secrets. A blinded basilisk was curled in one corner, as passive as a trained dog.

And Harry Potter was dying in his arms.

"Help," he croaked, unsure who he was asking. "Help…I need help…"

Bells, or a whistling bounced down the stone walls. He looked up to find a shining, red and gold phoenix flying down from the entrance. It was Dumbledore's phoenix. Severus watched as it flew down to him, landing on his shoulder. He felt the weight, the prick of talons, but it did not hurt him.

But even as the phoenix leaned over, shedding golden tears onto the fang. Severus felt hopelessness crowding his chest. "It's useless," he murmured. "He's…he's not even breathing…"

Yet the wound was closing until the fang slid out, dropping to the floor with a clatter. The phoenix stopped crying then as the new pink skin revealed itself through the hole in Harry's robes. But the boy was still motionless and Severus could not feel his breath on his neck any longer.

"Harry," he whispered. "Harry…"

The phoenix leaned close to him, warm feathers brushing against his face.

He pulled Harry up, so he could see his face. His eyes were closed, tears drying on his cheeks, mouth slightly open. Severus pressed his forehead to the scar, a bruised red. "I tried…but I…I couldn't…I tried-" He hadn't cried in over a decade. A habit that he wished that he had kept. For now, even though everything inside him was shredding, he felt incapable of expressing it.

…_I want to tell you something…_

…_even if you don't understand…_

…_even if you forget…_

Severus remembered the red hair, shining in the moonlight. The tired, green eyes, older than an age. He couldn't quite remember her, in this moment, but he knew she was near. That she had always been near. And as warm as the phoenix feathers brushing his cheek. She had fought for his life, Harry's life, hundred times. And she would fight a thousand more, an eternity more.

…_when you say that you will try to love someone…_

…_it means you already do…_

Harry began to breathe.

Slow, shallow breaths, but it brought a flush of color to his cheeks. Severus could only stare, unmoving as Harry's eyes began to move under his lids. It could have taken minutes or hours, but he was slowly blinking them open, taking in a large gulp of air.

The green eyes stared at the ceiling, unfocused, but then they slowly moved before staring at Severus. They looked at another, for a short while, both unable to speak. Then Harry looked to Severus' shoulder. "…pretty bird."

Severus almost felt like laughing or crying or screaming. Instead, he found himself pulling Harry close, needing to feel that heartbeat against his own chest.

Harry was still limp in his arms, but Severus felt on hand slide around his waist, clutching at his robes. "…Snape?" he whispered. "Am I…? Are we…?"

Snape released him, deciding that though he was conscious now, immediate medical treatment was probably in order. Then a thorough explanation once he was sure Harry was fully recovered. Arranging him in his arms, Severus stood on shaking legs. "We should probably leave now, you need to go directly to the hospital wing."

Harry wrapped his arms around his neck. "But I feel better now. Where is…?" He looked around and spotted the basilisk in the corner. "Oh…"

Severus gripped Harry a little tighter. In the moment, he had forgotten about the beast. He reached for his wand, but Harry tugged at his collar.

"No, wait. She listens to me. Let me just…I just have to see if the diary is really destroyed."

Severus didn't want to go anywhere near the monster, but Harry was suddenly hissing and the basilisk perked up it's head and began to move towards them with alarming speed. The phoenix gave a twinkling shriek and flew from Severus' shoulder. Severus took a step away, but his reflexes were quite in working order at the moment, his arms full of Harry. The basilisk drew its head close and Harry, almost casually, reached out and plucked the book from it's remaining fang.

The book was mostly destroyed, no longer leaking ink, but containing a massive hole through its center. Harry held it like was poison, frowning as he turned it around in his hands.

Severus still kept his eyes on the basilisk, which lingered over them. It was astounding how passive it was. "What is it?"

"Voldemort's diary. From when he went to school here."

Severus looked sharply down. "_What?_"

Harry pushed it into his robes. "Yeah, he was attacking the students."

Severus had many more pressing questions, but those could be answered later. For now, there was a basilisk in his face and he dearly wanted to leave this terrible chamber. He began walking away and was deeply disturbed that the basilisk was following behind.

Harry put a hand on his chest. "She's not going to hurt us…I don't think. Even though Tom had been controlling her before, she listened to me over him."

"It is the monster that dwells in the Chamber of Secrets, Harry. I don't trust it."

Harry gave a small smile, as if Severus amused him. With any other person, it would greatly irritate Severus to see it. Now…now he would let Harry get away with it.

Once they reached the slide that Severus entered from, he found himself at a slight loss. But the phoenix flew down to hover before him in a strange way.

"I think he wants you to grab his tail feathers."

Severus had no idea where Harry got that idea from. But lacking in any other ideas, he adjusted Harry with one arm and reached out to grip the golden feathers. He suddenly felt himself become weightless and the bird took one powerful wing beat and they were suddenly flying.


	41. Chapter 41

Harry leaned back in the pillow, rubbing his shoulder as Hermione finished up explaining what happened. Ron was in the bed next to his, adding bits and pieces as she went on.

"Well, apparently, since there is no solid proof of Sirius Black's innocence, he has to go into hiding. But Dumbledore told me that he would be alright. And, here, he wrote you this letter."

Harry took it. The paper was smudged with dirt, the handwriting cramped and messy. He put it aside, deciding to read it later. While he didn't doubt Hermione was giving the full account about what happened the evening Tom Riddle took him to the Chamber of Secrets, it still felt a little…unbelievable. Sirius Black was framed? Innocent? Well, now that he knew Tom was behind the attacks, he seemed slightly plausible. But didn't Black still rip apart the portrait? And try to attack Ron in his sleep? Well, according to Hermione, he wasn't _attacking_ Ron…but it did all seem a bit dodgy.

Hermione gave a small shrug. "I know, it's a lot to think about. But, if it makes you feel better, I think Snape was a bit skeptical too. But he believed Black enough to let him try to help you." She frowned. "Though I did not appreciate being tricked into not coming into the Chamber myself."

"_I _didn't appreciate being left here during all of this!" Ron added.

"You had a broken leg!"

"There was a werewolf on the loose! Do you know how terrifying it is to hear that thing snarling around and you have no idea if it will find you?" He looked at Harry. "Anyway, we should have been there for you, mate."

"It wouldn't have mattered," Harry muttered, reaching up to rub his shoulder again. It felt uncomfortable somehow, though not exactly painful.

"And it would only have put you in more risk, Miss Granger." Snape strode into the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey followed quickly after him. Harry hadn't known they were even talking.

Madam Pomfrey bustled towards Ron. "I have been requested by the headmaster to escort you home and do an examination on your younger sister."

"Ginny?" Ron asked, confused.

Harry paled. He had told Snape how Tom Riddle had gotten into the school through Ginny. He hoped she wasn't in trouble or anything. But Madam Ponfrey waved a dismissive hand. "It is nothing to concern yourself. Just a personal favor. And Miss Granger, the invitation to come to the Weasley residence extends to you as well."

Ron looked between them. "Hey, what about Harry?"

Snape stepped forward. "He will be returning with me."

Harry looked up, but Snape was glaring down at Hermione and Ron, as if daring them to disagree. It was actually kind of silly. "Okay," Harry said and Snape looked to him, eyes unreadable. "Where are we going?"

"First, to our quarters." There seemed to be some implication of 'and then we'll talk some more'. He had already talked a lot with Snape and Dumbledore after they appeared from the Chamber of Secrets. And then Madam Pomfrey seemed really angry that they hadn't immediately put Harry in the hospital wing. So he was sent there where he found Hermione and Ron.

"Okay," Harry said again and stood up from the bed. He was a little stiff and he could tell Madam Pomfrey was glaring at him. Not that she could do much, Snape had told him how Dumbledore's phoenix had healed him. Besides for feeling a little weak and sore, he was fine. He gave Hermione and Ron a little wave. "Guess I'll see you sometime this summer?" He said hopefully.

Ron grinned. "Yeah, of course."

Hermione nodded, smiling. Then she rushed forward, throwing her arms around Harry's neck. Harry nearly fell back on the bed and tentatively put his hands on her shoulders. She didn't say anything, but she squeezed him very tightly before stepping back, eyes blinking rapidly.

For some reason, Harry said, "I'm alright." Though he wasn't sure why. But her eyes brightened a bit and she went back to help Ron get up from his bed.

Harry turned just as Snape was beckoning him to the door. Harry wasn't sure how long he had been talking to Hermione and Ron in the hospital wing, but it seemed days ago that he woke up to find Tom Riddle laughing over him.

As they passed the main hall, Harry stopped and noticed the writing on the wall. For a second, he could see his hand before him, blood dripping from his fingers, as he wrote those words. His shoulder twinged and Harry rushed to catch up with Snape, tugging at the sleeve of his robe.

Snape turned, eyes flickering to the wall they just passed. "Harry-?"

"I'm sorry," Harry blurted.

Snape frowned. "Don't apologize for…that. It is unreasonable that you should be blamed for any actions taken under Tom Riddle's influence."

Harry shook his head. "N-no, I mean. I know that it wasn't my fault, but then…it was…" He bit his lip. "The reason why Tom was able to possess me was because I was…afraid. I didn't know who to talk to, so I…talked to him."

Snape was silent for a moment and it made Harry want to squirm. But he forced himself to remain still. "Harry, I understand that you life to this point has been much more complicated than a normal twelve year old. And with these complications comes…confusion and fear." He knelt to the floor, eyes hard. "But that is ending now. In the future, if you find yourself in a situation where you feel you have no one to confide in, you _will_ confide in me.

Harry blinked. "B-but, what if you can't help me?"

"That is no reason not to speak to me. If I find myself unable to assist you, then, in the very least, you will not be alone any longer." Harry turned away, feeling like he was about to cry. But Snape forcible made him face him, one hand cupping his chin so they looked at another directly. "No," he whispered. "There is no shame in crying before me. Do not be afraid of me."

Harry inhales sharply. "But it's a bit…embarrassing…I've been crying too much lately…"

Snape's eyes lowered slightly, looking to Harry's shoulder. "In that Chamber, do you remember what happened after that basilisk bit you?"

"She didn't intend to! I just didn't have the control-"

"_Harry_, do you remember what happened?"

Harry swallowed thickly. "You were there and I was…I didn't know what to do and it was so _dark_ and cold…"

Snape looked at him, dark eyes piercing into his. "Harry, you died." Harry felt a little like the air was sucked from him, but Snape kept talking. "You died there, in my arms and one thing I couldn't do, besides for save you, the one thing I couldn't manage to do was cry for you."

"Cry?"

"Yes. For so many years, so long that I can't remember when, I thought that crying was a sign of weakness. So I trained myself to never react such a way again. In fact, I trained myself not to feel so many things that I forgot I even could. It is, in some ways, a safe existence. And an easier way to face the traumas of this world. But tonight…I found that I was severely lacking."

"Why? Because you couldn't cry?"

Snape's face softened. And, it was strange, because though he wasn't smiling, it kind of felt like he was. He suddenly stood, lifting Harry into his arms. Harry wrapped his legs around his waist, bracing his arms on Snape's shoulders. He was probably a little big to be held like this, but Snape carried him easily. "Because I could not mourn for almost losing something so precious to me."

Harry decided that though Snape just told him it was alright to cry, that he still wanted to bury his face in his neck while doing so. The tears felt hot and painful, pouring from his eyes and soaking into Snape's robes. But it also felt like some terrible weight was being shed from his shoulders. He didn't have to carry this around anymore, he could give it to someone else.

And he wouldn't throw it back at him, demanding that he 'straighten up' or 'fend for himself'.

He wouldn't ignore him or punish him for something he had no control over.

He wouldn't leave him long before he ever knew what their voices sounded like.

Or, in this very moment, it felt like Snape would never leave him. That Harry could struggle or fail or whatever and always turn around and find Snape there, standing at his bedroom door. Awake, alert, and trying just as desperately as Harry to figure out what it means to trust someone so completely.

Harry used to spend hours in his cupboard, lying awake and staring at the ceiling. He would think about a lot of things. But he would often imagine what it would be like to have someone take him away from the Dursleys. Someone who told him he was more than the scrawniest kid in school. More than a troublemaker and a punching bag. More than a burden.

And, he'd imagine, he would wake in the morning to arms that felt secure and warm and…

…precisely how he felt now.


	42. Chapter 42

This is the end!

I actually finished this fic about 2 years ago, but it's taken me so long to put it up because I'm not super happy with the ending. I've tried rewriting it, adding more, taking away, etc, but this is the best I can come up with. I'm sorry if everything isn't so neatly wrapped up, but I figured any ending was better than none.

Hopefully in the future, I'll put some bonus content scenes here. (like, I have some serious head canons with that basilisk) But please don't hold your breath (you'll die)

Thank you all for reading! I appreciate the comments and the followers that have stuck through with me on this! Hopefully you'll find this ending satisfactory!


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